Intermittency of riometer auroral absorption observed at South Pole

Auroral radio-wave absorption values measured at South Pole for 3 years using a riometer are analyzed in order to test whether they show evidence of intermittency. The properties of the parameters of the probability density functions determined for several magnetic local time sectors are found to be significantly different. The probability density functions for the pre-midnight sector show the typical shape associated to intermittency. No results are given for the afternoon sector because few auroral absorption events meet the selection criteria to give statistically significant results. It is suggested that if the precipitating particle population responsible for the riometer auroral absorption shared the intermittency features of the absorption then the present results would allow the study of the properties of the induction component of magnetospheric turbulence.