About the relationship between auroral electrojets and ring currents

The relationship between the storm-time ring current and the auroral electr ojets is investigated using IMAGE magnetometer data, D-St and H-SYM, and so lar wind data. Statistical results as well as the investigation of single e vents show that the auroral electrojets occur also during nonstorm conditio ns without storm-time ring current development and even during the storm re covery phase of increasing D-St. A close correlation between electrojet int ensity and ring current intensity was not found. Though the eastward electr ojet moves equatorward during the storm main phase there is no unequivocal relationship between the movement of the westward electrojet and the ring c urrent development. All these results suggest that the auroral electrojets and the ring current develop more or less independently of each other.