Rober sent in the two links www.space.com/steve-picket-fence-streaks-mystery … and https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020AV000183 .. and comments, nobody knows what actually causes STEVE but they all do not think it is aurorae. Aurora occur when charged particles crackle along earth's magnetic field lines. STEVE, it seems, is a river of hot turbulent gas that can be seen independently of solar weather. Hot turbulent gas = plasma and a river is a plasma filament, Robert adds. An electric current may be involved and the spacing of the picket fence is reminiscent of current filaments in a plasma focus device discharge.
The same story was at https://spaceweather.com .. on 25th November
