Response of the Poleward Boundary of the Nightside Auroral Oval to Impacts of Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Enhancement

In this paper we have investigated latitudinal variations of the poleward boundary of the nightside auroral oval when the magnetosphere is hit by an enhanced solar wind dynamic pressure front. We used precipitating particle data obtained from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites to identify the locations of the boundary before and after enhanced pressure impacts. The boundary locations are represented by a parameter called "b5e". After performing the analysis for a number of events, we found that the basic effect of the solar wind pressure increase impact is often (but not always) to move the poleward boundary of the nightside auroral oval poleward. However, this effect can be often modified by other factors, such as simultaneous variations of the interplanetary magnetic field with a pressure increase, and thus the boundary response is not necessarily a poleward shift in many cases. We demonstrate this with specific examples, and discuss other possible complicating factors.