Two-Dimensional Structure of Flow Channels and Associated Upward Field-Aligned Currents: Model and Observations

Flow bursts are a major component of transport within the plasma sheet and auroral oval (where they referred to as flow channels), lead variety geomagnetic disturbances approach inner (equatorward portion oval). However, their two-dimensional structure has received only limited attention. We have examined this using both Rice Convection Model (RCM) ground-based radar all sky imager observations. As result energy dependent magnetic drift, low entropy burst spreads azimuthally yielding specific predictions subauroral polarization stream (SAPS) dawnside (DAPS) enhancements that related field-aligned currents associated with channel. channels approximately centered between dawn dusk large-scale convection cells predicted give significant SAPS DAPS, whereas channel further toward (dawn) cell show far more enhancement than for DAPS (SAPS). present observations cases having good coverage equatorward find very qualitative agreement above RCM predictions, including differences respect location. Despite there being an infinite channels’ parameters background conditions, general trends by simulations idealized parameters. This supports azimuthal spread low-entropy its FAC responses realistic physical description (auroral channels) reach (near edge