Response of high-energy particle precipitation to substorm onset

The process of extra-terrestrial radiowave absorption by ionospheric electrons is known as cosmic noise absorption (CNA) and is routinely detected by ground-based relative opacity meters or riometers, which are sensitive to high-energy particle precipitation (>10 keV). In this study, we investigate the response of high- energy particle precipitation to substorm onset by employing a 7×7-beam imaging riometer system in Northern Scandinavia, IRIS, and the substorm onset database from the IMAGE satellite. The CNA response is investigated with respect to substorm location relative to IRIS. Instantaneous responses are mostly observed when IRIS is located on the same magnetic parallel as the substorm onset region. We investigate dispersionless injections (DIs) associated with substorm onsets as detected by the imaging riometer. It is shown that an auroral absorption signature is present predominantly for DIs located westward of IRIS, which is consistent with high-energy particles propagating eastward from substorm injection location. Superposed epoch analysis of CNA relative to substorm onset timing shows a strong dependence on the azimuthal sector in which the onset is located relative to IRIS. Rapid responses are observed in 90-135 deg geographic azimuths indicating fast westward and poleward propagation from onset location. Responses to onsets located between -90 to -180 deg show a monotonic decrease in rise time. The results are examined in the context of the geosynchronous LANL and GOES satellite data in order to investigate the two propagation mechanisms: expansion of injection region and particle drift.