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Reconstruction of Precipitating Electrons and Three-Dimensional Structure of a Pulsating Auroral Patch from Monochromatic Auroral Images Obtained from Multiple Observation Points
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  • Mizuki Fukizawa,
  • Takeshi Sakanoi,
  • Yoshimasa Tanaka,
  • Yasunobu Ogawa,
  • Keisuke Hosokawa,
  • Björn Gustavsson,
  • Kirsti Kauristie,
  • Alexander Kozlovsky,
  • Tero Raita,
  • Urban Brandstrom,
  • Tima Sergienko
Mizuki Fukizawa
Tohoku University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Takeshi Sakanoi
Tohoku University
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Yoshimasa Tanaka
National Institute of Polar Research
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Yasunobu Ogawa
National Institute of Polar Research
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Keisuke Hosokawa
University of Electro-Communications
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Björn Gustavsson
UiT - the Arctic University of Norway
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Kirsti Kauristie
Finnish Meteorological Institute
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Alexander Kozlovsky
Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory
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Tero Raita
Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory, University of Oulu
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Urban Brandstrom
Swedish Institute of Space Physics
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Tima Sergienko
Swedish Institute of Space Physics
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Abstract

In recent years, auroral observation networks using high-sensitivity cameras have been developed in the polar regions. These networks allow us to observe dimmer auroras such as pulsating auroras (PsAs) with a high signal-to-noise ratio. We reconstructed the horizontal distribution of precipitating electrons using computed tomography with monochromatic PsA images obtained from three observation points. The three-dimensional distribution of the volume emission rate (VER) of the PsA was also reconstructed. The characteristic energy of the reconstructed precipitating electron flux ranged from 6 keV to 23 keV, and the peak altitude of the reconstructed VER ranged from 90 to 104 km. We evaluated the results using a model aurora and compared the model’s electron density with the observed electron density. The electron density was reconstructed correctly to some extent. These results suggest that the horizontal distribution of precipitating electrons associated with PsAs can be effectively reconstructed from ground-based optical observations.