Abstract. Measurements of ULF waves in the Pc5 frequency range are presented and discussed. The waves were observed during the magnetic cloud event of January 1997 by instruments on the Polar satellite and ground instrumentation. These large-amplitude waves are best interpreted as traveling shear Alfv•n waves rather than in the usual standing-wave scenario. Characterization of the associated complex particle environment shows that the waves were largely confined to the plasma trough. Energetic protons modulated by the wave are shown to have caused modulated proton aurora. It is argued that the waves were caused by the interaction of a magnetic hole with the magnetosphere.

Abstract.On September 24, 1998 at 2345 UT the magnetosphere was suddenly compressed as the dynamic pressure of the solar wind rapidly rose from 2 to 15 nPa. At the Polar spacecraft, at high altitudes above the center of the northem polar cap, a remarkably smooth increase in the field strength occurred while the plasma properties changed abruptly, as described in an accompanying paper. Comparisons with models and an examination of the wave amplitudes during the compression indicate that the initial change in plasma properties was most probably due to convection of pre-existing boundary layer plasma to the location of Polar rather than due to local heating by betatron acceleration and ion cyclotron waves. The smoothness of the increase in field strength is attributed to the very high velocity of compressional waves in the tail that outrun the advancing solar wind disturbance. The signatures as measured by GOES 10 at 1444 LT and at GOES 8 at 1846 LT in low latitude geosynchronous orbit are the more familiar sudden jump on the dayside, where the density is high and the compressional wave velocity low, and a weak change on the nightside, where tail current changes oppose the effects of the dayside magnetopause currents. This event is an ideal candidate for collaborative investigation of the effects of a classical sudden storm commencement on the magnetosphere.