Pi2 band activity at low latitudes during non‐substorm intervals

Pi2 pulsations are impulsive, damped oscillations associated with magnetospheric substorm onsets and intensifications. We show that Pi2 activity, with different characteristics, occurs during non‐substorm intervals. Examples showing the nature of the association between low‐latitude Pi2s and “tail reconnection during IMF‐northward, non‐substorm intervals” or TRINNIs are presented. These events are thought to be related to reconnection at a more distant neutral line than that associated with substorms and that maps to the poleward auroral oval boundary. In particular, using a new method of Pi2 identification, we for the first time show that modulated quasi continuous activity in the Pi2 band occurs regularly (∼40% of the time) at low latitudes during IMF‐northward, non‐substorm intervals.