First Observations From the TREx Spectrograph: The Optical Spectrum of STEVE and the Picket Fence Phenomena

D. M. Gillies; E. Donovan; D. Hampton; J. Liang; M. Connors; Y. Nishimura; B. Gallardo-Lacourt; E. Spanswick

doi:10.1029/2019GL083272

First Observations From the TREx Spectrograph: The Optical Spectrum of STEVE and the Picket Fence Phenomena

D. M. Gillies, E. Donovan, D. Hampton, J. Liang, M. Connors, Y. Nishimura, B. Gallardo-Lacourt, E. Spanswick

Centre for Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal Article › peer-review

59 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	7207-7213
Number of pages	7
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	46
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083272
Publication status	Published - 16 Jul. 2019

Keywords

Aurora
Picket Fence
Spectrograph
Steve
TREx

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title = "First Observations From the TREx Spectrograph: The Optical Spectrum of STEVE and the Picket Fence Phenomena",

abstract = "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.",

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author = "Gillies, {D. M.} and E. Donovan and D. Hampton and J. Liang and M. Connors and Y. Nishimura and B. Gallardo-Lacourt and E. Spanswick",

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doi = "10.1029/2019GL083272",

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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.

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

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KW - TREx

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DO - 10.1029/2019GL083272

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VL - 46

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EP - 7213

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 13

ER -

First Observations From the TREx Spectrograph: The Optical Spectrum of STEVE and the Picket Fence Phenomena

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Keywords

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