Plasma flow bursts in the nightside auroral zone ionosphere and their relation to geomagnetic activity

We examine the nature of flows in the nightside auroral zone ionosphere and their relationship with concurrent geomagnetic activity by studying a three-hour interval of ground-based radar, magnetometer array and spacecraft data. We find that the flows are bursty in nature, a characteristic previously reported, and that the bursts are related to a series of substorm electrojet intensifications initiated in the pre-midnight sector.

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