What happens if the particles do not reach 10,000 volts, how will that affect the wave lengths? Also is the color of the wave determined and how do the waves change and at what altitude?
The particles that cause the aurora are energized in the magnetosphere, that is, above the atmosphere. If they don’t reach 10,000 volts, they will still cause auroral light. The lower energy won’t change the wave length of the light, but will cause the light to be dimmer. The color of the light wave, or its wave length, is determined by the atom in the atmosphere that is excited by the particle. For example, oxygen atoms will emit green light. This green light is typically emitted at altitudes around 100 km. The red light from auroras comes from atoms at higher altitudes, 300-500 km. I think of the aurora like a set of TV screens at various altitudes, each emitting different colored light. The particles hit the atoms in the TV screen and they glow in their particular color. The light from each screen then travels to the ground where we see it with our eyes. Dr.
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