Features of auroral breakup obtained using data of ground-based television observations: case study

Abstract. The knowledge about the relative timing of events during the substorm expansion phase onset is very important for understanding the physics of substorms. In this work ground-based television (TV) imaging technique was used for observations of the first auroral arc brightening near zenith of TV chamber for the case of an isolated substorm. The method of the TV image filtration was used giving the possibility to analyze motion of sub visual auroral arcs. The analysis of the connection between the first auroral arc brightening and the beginning of magnetic disturbance was carried out. It was shown that luminosity disturbance is absent to the pole of breakup arc before the breakup and there exist a delay time between the brightening and start of intense magnetic fluctuations in the Pi1–Pi2 frequency ranges. The results obtained have been compared with predictions of theories of auroral breakup.