Searching for Auroral Signatures of Alfvénic Fluctuations

It is known that the energy causing the auroras originates from the solar wind, however, finding the mechanisms that drive electron acceleration and subsequent auroral morphology is an active area of research critical for understanding of space weather effects. In the past few decades, Alfvén waves have been established as a cause of electron acceleration in the aurora, but these waves cannot explain the highest electron energies measured, often up to 10 keV and higher. We utilize the electric and magnetic field data obtained from the Swarm A satellite and the 630 nm (redline) auroral images from the REGO (Redline Emission Geospace Observatory) all-sky imagers to search for auroral features due to Alfvénic fluctuations having frequencies of 1-8 Hz, regions of which are known for Alfvénic precipitations from satellite measurements, but whose auroral signatures remain uncertain. We report what we believe is the first identification of the optical signature of the Alfvénic aurora at the quiescent poleward boundary of the nightside auroral oval.