2026 THEMIS SCIENCE NUGGETS

SUMMARIES OF THEMIS RESEARCH

Previous studies have unveiled two fundamental auroral acceleration mechanisms: electric potential and Alfvénic acceleration; our findings underscore the interplay between these two mechanisms. We show that energy carried by AlfvHigh-Time-Resolution Observations of Plasma Convection in the Nightside High-Latitude Ionosphere én waves travels from the magnetosphere to the auroral acceleration region, forming an electric potential drop that accelerates particles to produce aurorae. Read more.

During the 10 May 2024 superstorm, three spacecraft observed a previously unrecognized plasma structure immediately inside Earth's magnetopause as the solar wind compressed the magnetosphere. This newly identified "compression layer" contained distinct ion populations moving together, providing new insight into how Earth's space environment responds to extreme space weather.

High-time-resolution SuperDARN observations revealed rapid convection variations that could not be previously resolved. The observations provided evidence of nearly simultaneous convection responses across the radar coverage, as well as fine-scale velocity structures during substorms, PBIs, streamers, and ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves. Read more.