Accession Number:

AD0780478

Title:

The Real-Time Determination of Ionospheric Current Parameters during a Substorm,

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

PANAMETRICS INC WALTHAM MASS

Personal Author(s):

• Hanser,Frederick A.
• Sellers,Bach
• Vancour,Roger P.

Report Date:

1973-08-10

Pagination or Media Count:

13.0

Abstract:

Data from three-axis magnetometers situated at two different locatons on a north-south line from Churchill were fed into a PDP-8 computer at Churchill. The altitude, horizontal position and intensity of the polar electrojet were determined in real time to select the optimum launch time for rockets used to study auroral phenomena associated with substorms. 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. Author

Descriptors:

• *Ionosphere
• *Electric current
• Ionospheric disturbances
• Magnetic disturbances
• Magnetometers
• Data processing
• Real time

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE