A new framework for studying the relationship of aurora and plasma sheet dynamics

Auroras have been extensively studied using images obtained by space-borne experiments. We use global UVI images obtained from Polar and simultaneous plasma data obtained by the 3D instrument on Wind from the near-earth plasma sheet to study the dynamics of auroras with different size and intensity. Unstable phase space ion distributions are detected in the plasma sheet under diverse geomagnetic and solar wind IMF conditions (positive and negative B-z) and at all phases of a substorm. These results indicate that plasma instability processes with different disturbance levels operate in the plasma sheet and produce a continuum of auroral size and intensity. The criteria for triggering an instability are dependent on the local properties of the plasma distributions. These observations suggest a new framework to integrate previous and current results and a new way to examine the causal relationships of auroral and plasma sheet dynamics. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.