Polarization of Aurora, Related to Synchrotron Radiation?

[MGmirkin]

(Polarization Of The Northern Lights)
http://digg.com/space/Polarization_Of_T ... ern_Lights

( Synchrotron radiation from auroral electrons [...])
http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord. ... A7210839AH

(Synchrotron radiation)
http://www.answers.com/synchrotron+radi ... technology

"Electromagnetic radiation emitted by high-energy particles when accelerated to relativistic speeds in a magnetic field."

[...]

"Electromagnetic radiation emitted by relativistic charged particles curving in magnetic or electric fields."

[...]

"The radiation has many features (natural collimation, high intensity and brightness, broad spectral bandwidth, high polarization, pulsed time structure, small source size, and high-vacuum environment) that make it ideal for a wide variety of applications in experimental science and technology."

It seems increasingly apparent that an electrical explanation fits best.

Not surprising in light of recent news about the northern lights:

(NASA Spacecraft Make New Discoveries About Northern Lights)
http://digg.com/space/NASA_Spacecraft_M ... n_Lights_3

(THEMIS discovered a flux rope pumping a 650,000 Amp current into the Arctic.)
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/2037 ... er_400.jpg

Also, not surprising, insofar as Kristian Birkeland predicted precisely the kind of solar terrestrial interaction recently observed 100 years ago based upon empirical lab experimentation!

(The Norwegian Aurora Polaris Expedition 1902 - 1903)
http://www.plasma-universe.com/index.ph ... %28Book%29

Hence why his name is now stamped all over it:

(Birkeland current)
http://www.plasma-universe.com/index.ph ... nd_current

So, long story short, it seems to me that synchrotron radiation may be involved as it tends to have a high degree of polarization. And it wouldn't be altogether surprising for an electrical standpoint.

Cheers,
~Michael Gmirkin

[MGmirkin]

(A2255: the First Detection of Filamentary Polarized [Synchrotron] Emission in a Radio Halo)
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/cgi-wrap/g ... -10880.pdf
http://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/20 ... agk041.pdf

Now, if they'd just go a tiny bit further than the "twisted magnetic fields" descriptions and ask why the magnetic fields exist there at all...

Cheers,
~Michael Gmirkin

[StefanR]

Planetary x-ray auroras
R. Gladstone

X-rays have been observed from many solar system objects (i.e., Venus, Earth &
Moon, Mars, Jupiter & several Galilean satellites, Saturn & its rings, lots of comets,
and the heliopause). However, only Jupiter and Earth are currently known to emit auroral
x-rays (although there is a hint of such emission from Saturn). X-ray auroras on
Earth are primarily bremsstrahlung emissions produced by precipitating electrons and
have been studied extensively at higher energies from spacecraft (e.g., Polar/PIXIE).
Recent observations of Earth’s x-ray aurora by Chandra provide a much higher resolution
look at the lower energy portion of this bremsstrahlung. X-ray auroras on Jupiter
are produced by the precipitation of energetic O and S ions from a source region just
inside the magnetopause (rather than from just outside the Io Plasma Torus, as was
originally believed). Recent work suggests that precipitating electron bremsstrahlung
also contributes to Jupiter’s x-ray aurora at higher (>2 keV) energies. This talk will
review the recent observations of soft x-ray auroras on Earth and Jupiter.

http://www.cosis.net/abstracts/EPSC2006 ... -00262.pdf

and maybe this thread is also related:

Whistler waves, double layers, magnetic reconnection