Small-scale structure of the auroral electron and ion acceleration mechanisms

High time resolution data obtained from sounding rocket flights reaching altitudes of 1,000 km now permit spatial measurements on the order of the particle gyrodiameters. The electron precipitation responsible for the auroral light emission has two distinct populations; the isotropic in pitch angle electrons that apparently have a magnetospheric source and have been further accelerated within one or two Re of the ionosphere, and, a very field-aligned component which is cold and apparently has an ionospheric source. The field-aligned component provides much of the fine structure and dynamic motion of the visual aurora. Time dispersion of these electrons also places their acceleration region one to two Re from the ionosphere. Much of the heavy ion population of the trapped radiation comes from the ionosphere. These ions apparently receive their initial acceleration transverse to B at altitudes on the order of 1,000 km during auroral events and then are further accelerated as they pass through the higher altitude auroral acceleration region. Recent measurements show that the volume of transverse ion acceleration can be as small as several tens of meters transverse to B and arc also volumes of ionospheric density depletion and intense waves near the lower hybrid frequency having electric field amplitudes of hundreds of mv/m. These regions of microscale transverse ion acceleration are generally co-located with the auroral field-aligned electron bursts