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Multiple Polar Cap Arcs: Akebono (Exos D) Observations, T. Obara, T. Mukai, H. Hayakawa, K. Tsurda, A. Matsuoka, A. Nishida, H. Fukunishi, L. Zhu, Jan Josef Sojka, D. J. Crain

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Akebono (Exos D) observations demonstrate that polar cap arcs sometimes have a fine structure, that is, multiple (double or triple) arcs with spacing of a few tens of kilometers. The multiple polar cap arcs are dominantly observed in the nightside polar cap region, suggesting that low background conductance favors the appearance of the structured arcs. A relationship between the spacing and the average energy of the precipitating electrons is investigated. Results show that a higher energy leads to a wider spacing. Akebono observations also show the existence of a downward current region embedded between upward current regions (arcs). Comparison of …