TY - JOUR
T1 - First Observations From the TREx Spectrograph
T2 - The Optical Spectrum of STEVE and the Picket Fence Phenomena
AU - Gillies, D. M.
AU - Donovan, E.
AU - Hampton, D.
AU - Liang, J.
AU - Connors, M.
AU - Nishimura, Y.
AU - Gallardo-Lacourt, B.
AU - Spanswick, E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2019/7/16
Y1 - 2019/7/16
N2 - We present the first observations of ionospheric phenomena using the newly deployed Transition Region Explorer (TREx) Spectrograph. On the night of 10 April 2018, STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) and the Picket Fence optical structures were observed by the spectrograph in Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan. STEVE contains an enhancement of the OI red-line (630-nm) emission and a continuum which spans the visible wavelengths. Based upon its spectrum, we assert that the characteristic mauve color of STEVE is a result of this continuum. The spectrum of the Picket Fence contains a strong OI green-line (557.7-nm) emission similar to that produced in typical auroral structures. From their spectra, we assert that the Picket Fence is caused by particle precipitation and thus that the Picket Fence is a form of aurora, while STEVE's spectrum confirms that it is not aurora.
AB - We present the first observations of ionospheric phenomena using the newly deployed Transition Region Explorer (TREx) Spectrograph. On the night of 10 April 2018, STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) and the Picket Fence optical structures were observed by the spectrograph in Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan. STEVE contains an enhancement of the OI red-line (630-nm) emission and a continuum which spans the visible wavelengths. Based upon its spectrum, we assert that the characteristic mauve color of STEVE is a result of this continuum. The spectrum of the Picket Fence contains a strong OI green-line (557.7-nm) emission similar to that produced in typical auroral structures. From their spectra, we assert that the Picket Fence is caused by particle precipitation and thus that the Picket Fence is a form of aurora, while STEVE's spectrum confirms that it is not aurora.
KW - Aurora
KW - Picket Fence
KW - Spectrograph
KW - Steve
KW - TREx
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068784808&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/2019GL083272
DO - 10.1029/2019GL083272
M3 - Journal Article
AN - SCOPUS:85068784808
SN - 0094-8276
VL - 46
SP - 7207
EP - 7213
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
IS - 13
ER -