Abstract During substorms, Earth’s magnetotail undergoes rapid dipolarization, driving Earthward plasma flows that decelerate and dissipate energy upon encountering the dipole magnetic field in the nightside transition region. This region mediates the interaction between the magnetotail, inner magnetosphere, and the ionospheric auroral zone, though significant mapping uncertainties obscure the precise link and particle acceleration processes. Using data from THEMIS, TREx, and ELFIN, we analyze a storm‐time substorm on 4 September 2022, establishing a relationship, that is, not a causation, between magnetospheric and ionospheric dynamics. Following a dipolarization, the auroral bulge overlapped with the footprints of the electron isotropy boundary (IB) and the outer radiation belt. Notably, the precipitating electron energies reached at least 2 MeV in the bulge, exceeding previous reports. By comparing the latitudes of the electron IB with respect to the auroral bulge, we deduce that the sources of both auroral and relativistic precipitation were confined in the dipolarized region.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: October 16, 2025 04:11 AM
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