Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Evidence for Velocity Dispersion in Auroral Electrons

Abstract

THE intensities of 10 keV and 4 keV electrons have been measured from a sounding rocket launched into a post-breakup aurora. Pulsations in electron intensity were observed with a period of about 4 sec at both energies. The 10 keV pulsations occurred about half a second earlier than those at 4 keV. These results could have been caused by temporal changes in electron intensity and by a spatial structure in the path of the rocket because the causes are indistinguishable in the data. We treat the observed pulsations as temporal changes; they are similar in shape to pulsations observed in auroral light intensity, and electrons in the range 10 keV to 4 keV are important in the production of auroral light. If the pulsations are temporal in origin, the delay can be explained as a dispersion after simultaneous modulation 55,000 km from the rocket. The source of the modulation is found to be near the point where the local magnetic field line crosses the geomagnetic equator.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Heppner, J. P., thesis, California Inst. Tech. (1954). Published as Report No. DR135 by Defence Research Board of Canada. J. Geophys. Res., 59, 329 (1954).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Cresswell, G. R., and Davis, T. N., J. Geophys. Res., 71, 3155 (1966).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Johansen, O. E., and Omholt, A., Plan. Space Science, 14, 207 (1966).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BRYANT, D., COLLIN, H., COURTIER, G. et al. Evidence for Velocity Dispersion in Auroral Electrons. Nature 215, 45–46 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/215045a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/215045a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing