コンビーナ:Connors Martin G(Athabasca University)、塩川 和夫(名古屋大学宇宙地球環境研究所)

Recent studies, including some facilitated by citizen science, have shown the subauroral ionosphere to be more active than previously suspected. Unusual emissions, from SAR arcs to STEVE, indicate previously little studied physical processes in this region. Some arise from conjugacy to the radiation belts, while others have origins which remain unclear. This session attempts to stimulate synthesis of observations from different domains to address phenomena which appear difficult to explain when examined from only one of the many new sources of information about the subauroral zone. Optical observations have expanded to include those with the very high resolution of amateur DSLR cameras, yet this sporadic source is well complemented by continuous observation from the few comprehensive subauroral observatories. As ever, conjugacy with spacecraft plays an important role in assessing possible sources of precipitation or waves that may stimulate the subauroral ionosphere, and there are indeed now many space assets (RBSP, Arase, THEMIS, MMS) with footprints at least sometimes in that region. Various polar-orbiting low-altitude satellites traverse it regularly. The installation of low-latitude poleward-looking incoherent scatter radars, with large fields of view in the subauroral zone, also provides context and the ability to extract physical parameters continuously. The sometimes-extreme conditions now known to exist in the subauroral region have stimulated theory to expand the parameter range needed to explain ionospheric phenomena. We welcome contributions integrating multiple sources of observation and theoretical approaches to hopefully transform what is initially surprising into a new view of an unsuspectedly active region.