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Electromagnetic Coupling in the Polar Clefts and Caps pp 61–85Cite as

Auroral Oval Configuration During the Quiet Condition

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Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIC,volume 278))

Abstract

The auroral oval configuration during the quiet condition is examined in this paper. The quiet condition can be defined as the very low Kp or AE index (i.e. Kp ≤ 1 and AE ≤ 100 nT) or the northward interplanetary magnetic field. The previous investigations are also reviewed here. On the basis of the auroral electron precipitations, the quiet time auroral oval is characterized by the spatially extended continuous electron precipitations poleward to above 80° geomagnetic latitude from the normal equatorial boundary of the oval. This extended oval configuration is evident both statistically and on the case study basis. The instantaneous quiet time auroral oval was imaged and the optical auroral oval is consistent with the particle precipitation configuration. Without any doubt that the polar cap size diminishes and the auroral oval widens during the quiet condition, it is believed that the so-called “sun-aligned polar cap arcs” are the manifestation of the auroral oval arcs in the latitudinally expanded dawn or dusk part of the oval. The optical emission intensity and the energy flux of the oval are much weaker during the quiet time.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Physics Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland, 20707-6099, USA

    Ching I. Meng

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  1. Ching I. Meng
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Box 1048, Blindern, 0316, Oslo 3, Norway

    P. E. Sandholt

  2. Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    A. Egeland

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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Meng, C.I. (1989). Auroral Oval Configuration During the Quiet Condition. In: Sandholt, P.E., Egeland, A. (eds) Electromagnetic Coupling in the Polar Clefts and Caps. NATO ASI Series, vol 278. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0979-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0979-3_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6929-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0979-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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