Auroral-zone proton-electron anticorrelations, proton angular distributions, and electric fields

Data obtained on a rocket flown into an aurora have shown that a proton-electron anticorrelation existed in the sense that a decrease (increase) of the lowest energy proton flux at small pitch angles was accompanied within about one second by an increase (decrease) in the corresponding electron flux. Low-energy protons moving predominately up the magnetic field lines from apparent mirror points well within the atmosphere also show this behavior. The proton-electron anticorrelation and the predominately upward-moving protons are interpreted in terms of an electrostatic field oriented along the magnetic field line.