How do auroral and subauroral flow channels form, and how do they influence the neutral atmosphere?

Living Planet Fellowship research project carried out by William Edward Archer. The European Space Agency Swarm satellite mission is advancing the cutting edge of ionospheric space physics. Combined high-resolution measurements of electron density, electron temperature, and electric and magnetic fields provide a robust picture of the electrodynamics of this energetic region. We will leverage the …

Brought to the interest of the scientific community by the citizen Aurora Chasers group of amateur photographers and enthusiasts, the intriguing nighttime optical phenomenon which got its name “Steve” after an animated movie scene, got an honorary “Sky Wonders” coin, issued by the Canadian Coin & Currency. ESA Living Planet Fellow William Archer with the University …

Steve is a nighttime optical phenomenon shown to be associated with intense subauroral ion drifts (SAID). The phenomenon is described as a purple band of light equatorward of aurora and it is sometimes accompanied by periodic green emissions termed “picket fence”. There are several hypotheses on the physical mechanisms that could be causing Steve and …

New research published in Geophysical Research Letters investigates in-situ ionospheric plasma measurements from the European Space Agency’s Swarm satellites coincident with ground-based optical measurements of the phenomenon known as “Steve”. The authors show that Steve is consistently associated with narrow ionospheric flow channels called subauroral ion drifts (SAID). These observations are unusually intense with faster …