The auroral luminosity structure in the high‐latitude upper atmosphere: Its dynamics and relationship to the large‐scale structure of the Earth's magnetosphere

Abstract

The concept of the auroral oval was proposed independently by Feldstein and by Khorosheva in the early 1960's, and it has since been widely used as a reference frame for the organization of high‐latitude optical, particle, and ionospheric data. More recently, different structural regions associated with the oval have been distinguished, and these have been identified with different magnetospheric regions by different workers. The net result is an inconsistent set of nomenclature and relationships. The literature of this development is reviewed in detail, and an interpretation and terminology that is consistent, in the opinion of the authors at least, are proposed. It is hoped that this proposal will serve as a useful basis for further discussion on the ordering of auroral phenomena in relation to the magnetosphere.