Accession Number:

AD0760767

Title:

Design, Fabrication and Use of an Instrument for Real-Time Determination of Polar Electrojet Position and Current Parameters.

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. 15 Mar 70-28 Feb 73,

Corporate Author:

PANAMETRICS INC WALTHAM MASS

Personal Author(s):

• Sellers,Bach
• Hanser,Frederick A.
• Morel,Paul R.

Report Date:

1973-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

58.0

Abstract:

An instrument was designed and fabricated for real-time determination of the auroral electrojet current, velocity, and location in order to assist in selection of the optimum launch time for rockets used to study auroral phenomena associated with substorms. The instrument incorporates a small digital computer to calculate these quantities by use of inputs from up to five 3-axis magnetometers. During two on-site applications at Churchill Research Range data from 3-axis magnetometers situated at two different locations on a north-south line from Churchill were used. During the two substorms studied, the jet was located near 140 km altitude and the intensity of each was as high as 0.5 megaamps. In one case, both stations gave results similar to the two station fit, so the jet was well approximated by a line current. In the second case, the data suggest that the current was either a sheet current or a group of filaments. Recommendations are made for increasing the data processing capability of the instrument in order to handle such realistic electrojet configurations in real-time. Author

Descriptors:

• *MAGNETOSPHERE
• *MAGNETIC STORMS
• *AURORAE
• *IONOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES
• MEASUREMENT
• MAGNETIC STORMS
• INSTRUMENTATION
• MAGNETOMETERS
• HEIGHT FINDING
• POSITION FINDING
• ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDING
• POLAR REGIONS
• REAL TIME
• DATA PROCESSING
• COMPUTER PROGRAMS

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE