Hardness variation rate of precipitating electrons during Pi3 auroral pulsations

Abstract

Photometric measurements of pulsating auroras have been carried out in the Pi3 range of geomagnetic pulsations with periods of 2–10 min with the use of auroral all-sky camera films obtained at the Lovozero Observatory. The new all-sky camera developed at the Polar Geophysical Institute uses the CCD matrix. This makes it possible to obtain simultaneous images in red, green, and blue spectral ranges and thus to investigate temporal luminosity variations in these spectral regions. The hardness of penetrating auroral electrons with a time resolution of a few seconds is qualitatively estimated. It is found that the energy of the electrons that cause auroras in the Pi3 pulsation range is not constant over the pulsation period. It is maximal at the lowest luminosity and minimal at its peaks. Luminosity pulsations are compared with geomagnetic pulsations, and it is established that large differences between luminosity variations in different parts of the sky explain the incomplete correspondence between the records of auroral and geomagnetic pulsations.