The AUTUMNX Magnetometer Network in Quebec and its Antarctic Conjugate Network PRIMO

Observations of auroras and auroral currents have shown that these phenomena can present significant asymmetry between the northern and southern hemispheres. The causes of the hemispheric asymmetry are often associated with the seasonal differences in ionospheric conductivity, the effects of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation, and interhemispheric currents. Despite their importance to the specification of space weather, the quantitative understanding of how these factors control hemispheric asymmetry of auroral currents has not been well established. Only in certain longitudinal ranges can magnetically conjugate ground-based magnetometers be placed on land. Such placement allows investigation of hemispheric asymmetry of auroral electrojets and other types of magnetic perturbations at auroral latitudes. Quebec, Canada, has in the past had sparse coverage by magnetometers, yet large parts of it are conjugate to Antarctica. Athabasca University's AUTUMNX project, funded by the Canadian Space Agency, is emplacing 10 magnetometer stations across Quebec. Six conjugate magnetometer stations in West Antarctica at L-values between 3.9 and 10.1 are proposed by the U. S. Polar Region and Inter-hemispheric Magnetic Observations (PRIMO) project. The AUTUMNX and PRIMO arrays will provide conjugate magnetic field observations over the entire range of auroral latitudes for the first time. We will present initial measurements from the AUTUMNX stations, with electrojets determined by an inversion routine, and with comparison to measurements at existing somewhat conjugate stations. Full resolution 2 Hz cadence AUTUMNX data is openly available in near real time at http://autumn.athabascau.ca. By comparing with solar wind, magnetospheric, and ionospheric measurements, the conjugate AUTUMNX and PRIMO observations can allow us to assess the controlling factors for auroral electrojets and other magnetic activity in the two hemispheres.