Measurements of Auroral Plasma Properties Using Low-Cost, Mobile, Ground-Based Detectors

Abstract

An expedition to Fairbanks, AK, was undertaken to study the aurora during the peak of solar cycle 25. Low-cost diagnostics were developed to enable ground-based measurements of ionospheric plasma parameters and auroral phenomena, namely a compact spectrometer and a high-resolution all-sky camera with 2-axis magnetometer. Observations were made at several locations between January 7th and 21st, 2024. Spectrum measurements enabled inference of plasma properties of auroral discharges such as bulk ion temperature, characteristic primary electron energy, and relative concentration of various atomic, molecular, and ionic species. Time lapses taken by the all-sky camera documented macroscopic motions of auroral arcs, including the onset of an intense geomagnetic substorm that coincided with a precipitous drop in the vertical component of the geomagnetic field. Optical flow analysis of all-sky photos has yielded a measure of the evolution of the motion of auroral structures during various phases of development of the substorm. These measurements demonstrate the diagnostic capabilities of low-cost diagnostics, democratizing access to quantitative observations and studies of this intriguing geophysical plasma phenomenon. This work is a first step in the development of a platform for citizen science investigations of auroral physics.