An interplanetary shock traced by planetary auroral storms from the Sun to Saturn

Renée Prangé (), Laurent Pallier, Kenneth C. Hansen, Russ Howard, Angelos Vourlidas, Régis Courtin and Chris Parkinson
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Renée Prangé: Observatoire de Paris
Laurent Pallier: Observatoire de Paris
Kenneth C. Hansen: University of Michigan
Russ Howard: Naval Research Laboratory
Angelos Vourlidas: Naval Research Laboratory
Régis Courtin: Observatoire de Paris
Chris Parkinson: Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the NASA Astrobiology Institute

Nature, 2004, vol. 432, issue 7013, 78-81

Abstract: Abstract A relationship between solar activity and aurorae on Earth was postulated1,2 long before space probes directly detected plasma propagating outwards from the Sun3. Violent solar eruption events trigger interplanetary shocks4 that compress Earth's magnetosphere, leading to increased energetic particle precipitation into the ionosphere and subsequent auroral storms5,6. Monitoring shocks is now part of the ‘Space Weather’ forecast programme aimed at predicting solar-activity-related environmental hazards. The outer planets also experience aurorae, and here we report the discovery of a strong transient polar emission on Saturn, tentatively attributed to the passage of an interplanetary shock—and ultimately to a series of solar coronal mass ejection (CME) events. We could trace the shock-triggered events from Earth, where auroral storms were recorded, to Jupiter, where the auroral activity was strongly enhanced, and to Saturn, where it activated the unusual polar source. This establishes that shocks retain their properties and their ability to trigger planetary auroral activity thoughout the Solar System. Our results also reveal differences in the planetary auroral responses on the passing shock, especially in their latitudinal and local time dependences.

Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02986

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