Title |
New science in plain sight: Citizen scientists lead to the discovery of optical structure in the upper atmosphere
|
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Published in |
Science Advances, March 2018
|
DOI | 10.1126/sciadv.aaq0030 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Elizabeth A. MacDonald, Eric Donovan, Yukitoshi Nishimura, Nathan A. Case, D. Megan Gillies, Bea Gallardo-Lacourt, William E. Archer, Emma L. Spanswick, Notanee Bourassa, Martin Connors, Matthew Heavner, Brian Jackel, Burcu Kosar, David J. Knudsen, Chris Ratzlaff, Ian Schofield |
Abstract |
A glowing ribbon of purple light running east-west in the night sky has recently been observed by citizen scientists. This narrow, subauroral, visible structure, distinct from the traditional auroral oval, was largely undocumented in the scientific literature and little was known about its formation. Amateur photo sequences showed colors distinctly different from common types of aurora and occasionally indicated magnetic field-aligned substructures. Observations from the Swarm satellite as it crossed the arc have revealed an unusual level of electron temperature enhancement and density depletion, along with a strong westward ion flow, indicating that a pronounced subauroral ion drift (SAID) is associated with this structure. These early results suggest the arc is an optical manifestation of SAID, presenting new opportunities for investigation of the dynamic SAID signatures from the ground. On the basis of the measured ion properties and original citizen science name, we propose to identify this arc as a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE). |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 52 | 21% |
Canada | 22 | 9% |
United Kingdom | 9 | 4% |
Spain | 8 | 3% |
Japan | 6 | 2% |
France | 4 | 2% |
Italy | 3 | 1% |
Germany | 3 | 1% |
Australia | 2 | <1% |
Other | 20 | 8% |
Unknown | 118 | 48% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 194 | 79% |
Scientists | 37 | 15% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 11 | 4% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 3 | 1% |
Unknown | 2 | <1% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 62 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 14 | 23% |
Student > Master | 10 | 16% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 8 | 13% |
Student > Bachelor | 5 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 3 | 5% |
Other | 7 | 11% |
Unknown | 15 | 24% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Physics and Astronomy | 17 | 27% |
Earth and Planetary Sciences | 9 | 15% |
Engineering | 5 | 8% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 2 | 3% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 2 | 3% |
Other | 7 | 11% |
Unknown | 20 | 32% |