RCM‐E simulation of substorm growth phase arc associated with large‐scale adiabatic convection. Issue 23 (5th December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Jian; Wolf, Richard A.; Toffoletto, Frank R.; Sazykin, Stanislav
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 40:Issue 23(2013:Dec.)
• Page Start: 6017
• Page End: 6022
• Publication Date: 2013-12-05
• Subjects: Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2013GL058253
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>[1] Substorm auroral breakup often occurs on a longitudinally elongated arc at the end of a growth phase. We present an idealized high‐resolution simulation with the Rice Convection Model‐Equilibrium (RCM‐E) to investigate how large‐scale adiabatic convection under equilibrium conditions can give rise to an auroral arc. We find that a thin arc that maps to the magnetic transition region at <italic>r</italic> ~ 8 <italic>R_E</italic> emerges in the late growth phase. The simulation implies that the arc in the premidnight sector is associated with a sheet of additional region 1 sense field‐aligned current (FAC) just poleward of the main region 2 FAC, while the arc in the postmidnight sector is associated with the poleward portion of the main upward region 2 FAC. Explanations for the location and the thickness of the arc are proposed, based on the simulation.</p> </abstract>