Polar Cap Boundary Phenomena

These proceedings are based on the invited talks and selected research reports presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on "POLAR CAP BOUNDARY PHENOMENA" held at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, June 4 - 13, 1997.

The role of the polar cap and its boundary is very substantial in solar-terrestrial physics.

At this NATO AS! a major change in thinking on the "cusp" precipitation region in the high-latitude days ide upper atmosphere was reflected, at least for intervals when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is directed southward.

It is likely that this has implications for northward IMF as well.

The change comes from the now almost complete acceptance of the concept of magnetosheath particle entry along open magnetic field lines and the evolution of the precipitation into the upper atmosphere with time elapsed since magnetic reconnection which opened the field line.

A key prediction of this view is that the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) is on open field lines.