The characterisation of the High Throughput Imaging Echelle Spectrograph and investigations of hydrogen Balmer B emission over Svalbard

Robertson, Stuart (2005) The characterisation of the High Throughput Imaging Echelle Spectrograph and investigations of hydrogen Balmer B emission over Svalbard. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

This thesis details the calibration of the High Throughput Imaging Echelle Spectrograph and observations of hydrogen Balmer β emission made with it from Svalbard. It presents calibration tools and instrumental artifact removal techniques. It introduces innovative techniques for removing sunlight and line contamination from spectral data.

An investigation of the hydrogen Balmer β emission due to a dayside auroral event on November 26^th 2000 and a detection of cusp aurora over Svalbard on November 27^th are presented. Evidence is presented for red shifted auroral protons in dayside aurora and the hydrogen β emission profile is shown to provide a range of information on the velocity distribution and origin of precipitating particles.

Geocoronal and atmospheric hydrogen β emission over Svalbard is investigated. Geocoronal emission is found to be omnipresent and to have an emission inertia of approximately 4 hours. Evidence for unshifted hydrogen line emission response to auroral precipitation is presented.

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