A MECHANISM FOR THE MULTIPLE BRIGHTENINGS OF DAYSIDE POLEWARD-MOVING AURORAL FORMS

Magnetic reconnection plays an important role in the magnetosphere-ion osphere coupling and may lead to the formation of the dayside auroras. Observations of the dayside auroras may provide clues to the reconnec tion process at the magnetopause. Recently Fasel et al. [1992] observe d poleward-moving dayside auroral forms that rebrighten during their l ifetimes. Lee et. al. [19931 examined the topology of magnetic flux ro pes formed by the patchy multiple X-line reconnection (PMXR), in which a magnetic flux tube reconnects with other flux tubes at multiple sit es of limited extent. This paper develops the connection between the e volution of the magnetic flux ropes and the multiple brightenings of p oleward-moving dayside auroral forms.