Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process
Multiple Transpolar arcs (MTPAs) are distinct auroral phenomenon occurring in the high-latitude ionosphere under prolonged northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. While the evolution of MTPAs is thought to be mainly modulated by the IMF By, the underlying physical mechanisms drivin...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1589264/full |
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| author | Yan-Ju Sun Yan-Ju Sun Qing-He Zhang Qing-He Zhang Zan-Yang Xing Xiang-Yu Wang Duan Zhang Bin-Bin Tang Sheng Lu Yu-Zhang Ma Yong Wang Zhi-Feng Xiu Xin-Ming Chen Tong Xu Shu-Ji Sun Jin Wang V. Manu |
| author_facet | Yan-Ju Sun Yan-Ju Sun Qing-He Zhang Qing-He Zhang Zan-Yang Xing Xiang-Yu Wang Duan Zhang Bin-Bin Tang Sheng Lu Yu-Zhang Ma Yong Wang Zhi-Feng Xiu Xin-Ming Chen Tong Xu Shu-Ji Sun Jin Wang V. Manu |
| author_sort | Yan-Ju Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Multiple Transpolar arcs (MTPAs) are distinct auroral phenomenon occurring in the high-latitude ionosphere under prolonged northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. While the evolution of MTPAs is thought to be mainly modulated by the IMF By, the underlying physical mechanisms driving their dynamics remain insufficiently understood. This study integrates space-based and ground-based observations, and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to investigate the evolution and characteristics of MTPAs and their associated field-aligned currents (FACs). The observations results reveal that following a sudden change in the IMF By orientation from dawnward to duskward, MTPAs exhibit a pronounced motion towards the duskside, driven by the strong positive IMF By. Concurrently, flow shears are detected on both flanks of the auroral arcs. MHD simulations under similar conditions demonstrate that flow shears emerge at the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) of the magnetosphere, facilitating plasma trapped from the magnetosheath and central plasma sheet onto open magnetic field lines. This plasma is subsequently transported into the lobe regions, generating upward FACs that accelerate local particles and form auroral arcs migrating towards the duskside within the polar cap. These findings advance our understanding of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling processes under varying IMF conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-85d0ce6ffbf64fcc8aaefbdb33f703ea |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-987X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-85d0ce6ffbf64fcc8aaefbdb33f703ea2025-08-20T03:10:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2025-06-011210.3389/fspas.2025.15892641589264Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic processYan-Ju Sun0Yan-Ju Sun1Qing-He Zhang2Qing-He Zhang3Zan-Yang Xing4Xiang-Yu Wang5Duan Zhang6Bin-Bin Tang7Sheng Lu8Yu-Zhang Ma9Yong Wang10Zhi-Feng Xiu11Xin-Ming Chen12Tong Xu13Shu-Ji Sun14Jin Wang15V. Manu16Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, ChinaChina Research Institute of Radiowave Propagation, Qingdao, ChinaChina Research Institute of Radiowave Propagation, Qingdao, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaMultiple Transpolar arcs (MTPAs) are distinct auroral phenomenon occurring in the high-latitude ionosphere under prolonged northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. While the evolution of MTPAs is thought to be mainly modulated by the IMF By, the underlying physical mechanisms driving their dynamics remain insufficiently understood. This study integrates space-based and ground-based observations, and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to investigate the evolution and characteristics of MTPAs and their associated field-aligned currents (FACs). The observations results reveal that following a sudden change in the IMF By orientation from dawnward to duskward, MTPAs exhibit a pronounced motion towards the duskside, driven by the strong positive IMF By. Concurrently, flow shears are detected on both flanks of the auroral arcs. MHD simulations under similar conditions demonstrate that flow shears emerge at the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) of the magnetosphere, facilitating plasma trapped from the magnetosheath and central plasma sheet onto open magnetic field lines. This plasma is subsequently transported into the lobe regions, generating upward FACs that accelerate local particles and form auroral arcs migrating towards the duskside within the polar cap. These findings advance our understanding of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling processes under varying IMF conditions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1589264/fullaurorasolar-terrestrial interactionmagnetospherepolar ionospheremultiple transpolar arcs |
| spellingShingle | Yan-Ju Sun Yan-Ju Sun Qing-He Zhang Qing-He Zhang Zan-Yang Xing Xiang-Yu Wang Duan Zhang Bin-Bin Tang Sheng Lu Yu-Zhang Ma Yong Wang Zhi-Feng Xiu Xin-Ming Chen Tong Xu Shu-Ji Sun Jin Wang V. Manu Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences aurora solar-terrestrial interaction magnetosphere polar ionosphere multiple transpolar arcs |
| title | Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process |
| title_full | Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process |
| title_fullStr | Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process |
| title_short | Characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process |
| title_sort | characteristics of multiple transpolar arcs motion and its corresponding magnetospheric dynamic process |
| topic | aurora solar-terrestrial interaction magnetosphere polar ionosphere multiple transpolar arcs |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1589264/full |
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