ALBERT

Description: We formulate the evolution of ionospheric conductivity in the framework of 3-D M-I coupling. Two important physical processes are taken into account. One is the ionization process by precipitating mono-energetic particles, which are accelerated by parallel-potential drops in the auroral acceleration region. The other process reflects the fact that part of field-aligned current (FAC) carried by electrons is closed with a perpendicular ionic current. Here, whereas the electric current is divergence-free, the divergence of electron current is finite. Therefore, the ionospheric electron density changes, and so does the conductivity. If the energy of electron precipitation is below ∼10 eV, this second process plays an important role in plasma transportation, production, and evacuation processes. In this case the density variation does not extend in space at the perpendicular electron velocity, but it rather moves at the ion perpendicular velocity. If the energy of electron precipitation is above ∼1 keV, in contrast, the precipitation has a nonlinear effect on plasma evolution. That is, the propagation speed of the density variation increases with increasing upward-FAC density, and the propagation takes place in the direction of the converging current into the upward FAC region. The Cowling effect on the plasma evolution process is crucially important. Our formulation is more general than the previous studies and is not limited to certain geometries, current component or interaction modes between the ionosphere and magnetosphere. It is therefore better-suited for describing the self-organized M-I coupling system, which evolves with current systems, conductivity, and magnetospheric processes interacting with each other.

Description: Auroral stepwise poleward expansions were clarified by investigating a multiple-onset substorm that occurred on 27 February 2009. Five successive auroral brightenings were identified in all-sky images, occurring at approximately 10 min intervals. The first brightening was a faint precursor. The second brightening had a wide longitude; thus, it represented the Akasofu substorm onset. Other brightenings expanded poleward; thus, they were interpreted to be auroral breakups. These breakups occurred stepwise; that is, later breakups were initiated at higher latitudes. Corresponding reconnection signatures were studied using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellite observations from between 8 and 24 R E down the magnetotail. The Akasofu substorm onset was not accompanied by a clear reconnection signature in the tail. In contrast, the three subsequent auroral breakups occurred simultaneously (within a few min) with three successive fast flows at 24 R E ; thus, these were interpreted to be associated with impulsive reconnection episodes. These three fast flows consisted of a tailward flow and two subsequent earthward flows. The flow reversal at the second breakup indicated that a tailward retreat of the near-Earth reconnection site occurred during the substorm expansion phase. In addition, the earthward flow at the third breakup was consistent with the classic tailward retreat near the end of the expansion phase; therefore, the tailward retreat is likely to have occurred in a stepwise manner. We interpreted the stepwise characteristics of the tailward retreat and poleward expansion to be potentially associated by a stepwise magnetic flux pile-up.