Magnetic Pulsations: Their Sources and Relation to Solar Wind and Geomagnetic Activity

Ultra low frequency (ULF) waves incident on the Earth are produced by processes in the magnetosphere and solar wind. These processes produce a wide variety of ULF hydromagnetic wave types that are classified on the ground as either Pi or Pc pulsations (irregular or continuous). Waves of different frequencies and polarizations originate in different regions of the magnetosphere. The location of the projections of these regions onto the Earth depends on the solar wind dynamic pressure and magnetic field. The occurrence of various waves also depends on conditions in the solar wind and in the magnetosphere. Changes in orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field or an increase in solar wind velocity can have dramatic effects on the type of waves seen at a particular location on the Earth. Similarly, the occurrence of a magnetospheric substorm or magnetic storm will affect which waves are seen. The magnetosphere is a resonant cavity and waveguide for waves that either originate within or propagate through the system. These cavities respond to broadband sources by resonating at discrete frequencies. These cavity modes couple to field line resonances that drive currents in the ionosphere. These currents reradiate the energy as electromagnetic waves that propagate to the ground. Because these ionospheric currents are localized in latitude there are very rapid variations in wave phase at the Earth’s surface. Thus it is almost never correct to assume that plane ULF waves are incident on the Earth from outer space. The properties of ULF waves seen at the ground contain information about the processes that generate them and the regions through which they have propagated. The properties also depend on the conductivity of the Earth underneath the observer. Information about the state of the solar wind and the magnetosphere distributed by the NOAA Space Disturbance Forecast Center can be used to help predict when certain types and frequencies of waves will be observed. The study of ULF waves is a very active field of space research and much has yet to be learned about the processes that generate these waves.     

电离层Alfven谐振器对地面观测到的地磁信号的影响初步研究

本文研究了0.1~10 Hz频率范围内的ULF波从磁层到地面的传播,得到了解析解,分析了电离层Alfven谐振器、磁倾角、电离层电导率、以及波频率对地面观测到的地磁信号的影响.数值结果表明:在磁层中剪切波在竖直方向有明显的谐振结构;地面观测到的信号在IAR谐振频率出现极大值,其谐振频率随磁倾角的增大而增大;电离层电导率的变化可以改变IAR的谐振频率,并能改变波的透射,从而影响地面地磁信号的频谱.     

Dynamics of the large-scale ULF electromagnetic wave structures in the ionosphere

The present article displays the results of theoretical investigation of the planetary ultra-low-frequency (ULF) electromagnetic wave structure, generation and propagation dynamics in the dissipative ionosphere. These waves are stipulated by a spatial inhomogeneous geomagnetic field. The waves propagate in different ionospheric layers along the parallels to the east as well as to the west and their frequencies vary in the range of (10–10⁻⁶) s⁻¹ with a wavelength of order 10³ km. The fast disturbances are associated with oscillations of the ionospheric electrons frozen in the geomagnetic field. The large-scale waves are weakly damped. They generate the geomagnetic field adding up to several tens of nanotesla (nT) near the Earth's surface. It is prescribed that the planetary ULF electromagnetic waves preceding their nonlinear interaction with the local shear winds can self-localize in the form of nonlinear long-living solitary vortices, moving along the latitude circles westward as well as eastward with a velocity different from the phase velocity of the corresponding linear waves. The vortex structures transfer the trapped particles of medium, as well as energy and heat. That is why such nonlinear vortex structures can be the structural elements of the ionospheric strong macro-turbulences.     

Ulf-wave diagnostics of a mid geomagnetic latitude model of the ionosphere

Summary Wave diagnostics of several alternatives of a constructed model of the daytime and night ionosphere of the mid geomagnetic latitudes were carried out in the ULF range of electromagnetic waves. The altitude profiles of local wave parameters of the ionosphere, the wavelengths and wave attenuation, were analysed at a fixed frequency. The frequency dependence of the amplitude and polarization characteristics of the total wave at the Earth's surface were also analysed in dependence on the frequency-amplitude spectrum of geomagnetic pulsations. The effect of the low regions of the ionosphere (h<100 km) was tested on the damping of the propagating wave and on the frequency-amplitude and polarization characteristics of the wave at the Earth's surface.     

Planetary distribution of geomagnetic pulsations during a geomagnetic storm at solar minimum

We investigate the features of the planetary distribution of wave phenomena (geomagnetic pulsations) in the Earth’s magnetic shell (the magnetosphere) during a strong geomagnetic storm on December 14–15, 2006, which is untypical of the minimum phase of solar activity. The storm was caused by the approach of the interplanetary magnetic cloud towards the Earth’s magnetosphere. The study is based on the analysis of 1-min data of global digital geomagnetic observations at a few latitudinal profiles of the global network of ground-based magnetic stations. The analysis is focused on the Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations, whose frequencies fall in the band of 1.5–7 mHz (T ～ 2–10 min), on the fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and in the solar wind density in this frequency band. It is shown that during the initial phase of the storm with positive IMF Bz, most intense geomagnetic pulsations were recorded in the dayside polar regions. It was supposed that these pulsations could probably be caused by the injection of the fluctuating streams of solar wind into the Earth’s ionosphere in the dayside polar cusp region. The fluctuations arising in the ionospheric electric currents due to this process are recorded as the geomagnetic pulsations by the ground-based magnetometers. Under negative IMF Bz, substorms develop in the nightside magnetosphere, and the enhancement of geomagnetic pulsations was observed in this latitudinal region on the Earth’s surface. The generation of these pulsations is probably caused by the fluctuations in the field-aligned magnetospheric electric currents flowing along the geomagnetic field lines from the substorm source region. These geomagnetic pulsations are not related to the fluctuations in the interplanetary medium. During the main phase of the magnetic storm, when fluctuations in the interplanetary medium are almost absent, the most intense geomagnetic pulsations were observed in the dawn sector in the region corresponding to the closed magnetosphere. The generation of these pulsations is likely to be associated with the resonance of the geomagnetic field lines. Thus, it is shown that the Pc5 pulsations observed on the ground during the magnetic storm have a different origin and a different planetary distribution.     

Penetration to the Earth’s surface of standing Alfvén waves excited by external currents in the ionosphere

The problem of boundary conditions for monochromatic Alfvén waves, excited in the magnetosphere by external currents in the ionospheric E-layer, is solved analytically. Waves with large azimuthal wave numbers m≫1 are considered. In our calculations, we used a model for the horizontally homogeneous ionosphere with an arbitrary inclination of geomagnetic field lines and a realistic height disribution of Alfvén velocity and conductivity tensor components. A relationship between such Alfvén waves on the upper ionospheric boundary with electromagnetic oscillations on the ground was detected, and the spatial structure of these oscillations determined.     

Geophysical effects of the interplanetary magnetic cloud on October 18–19, 1995, as deduced from observations at Irkutsk

During an interaction of the Earth’s magnetosphere with the interplanetary magnetic cloud on October 18–19, 1995, a great magnetic storm took place. Extremely intense disturbances of the geomagnetic field and ionosphere were recorded at the midlatitude observatory at Irkutsk (Φ′≈45°, Λ′≈177°, L≈2) in the course of the storm. The most important storm features in the ionosphere and magnetic field are: a significant decrease in the geomagnetic field Z component during the storm main phase; unusually large amplitudes of geomagnetic pulsations in the Pi1 frequency band; extremely low values of critical frequencies of the ionospheric F2-layer; an appearance of intense E_s-layers similar to auroral sporadic layers at the end of the recovery phase. These magnetic storm manifestations are typical for auroral and subauroral latitudes but are extremely rare in middle latitudes. We analyze the storm-time midlatitude phenomena and attempt to explore the magnetospheric storm processes using the data of ground observations of geomagnetic pulsations. It is concluded that the dominant mechanism responsible for the development of the October 18–19, 1995 storm is the quasi-stationary transport of plasma sheet particles up to L≈2 shells rather than multiple substorm injections of plasma clouds into the inner magnetosphere.     

Features of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pc</Emphasis>5 pulsations in the geomagnetic field,auroral luminosity,and Riometer absorption

Simultaneous morning Pc5 pulsations (f ~ 3–5 mHz) in the geomagnetic field, aurora intensities (in the 557.7 and 630.0 nm oxygen emissions and the 471.0 nm nitrogen emission), and riometer absorption, were studied based on the CARISMA, CANMOS, and NORSTAR network data for the event of January 1, 2000. According to the GOES-8 satellite observations, these Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations are observed as incompressible Alfvén waves with toroidal polarization in the magnetosphere. Although the Pc5 pulsation frequencies in auroras, the geomagnetic field, and riometer absorption are close to one another, stable phase relationships are not observed between them. Far from all trains of geomagnetic Pc5 pulsations are accompanied by corresponding auroral pulsations; consequently, geomagnetic pulsations are primary with respect to auroral pulsations. Both geomagnetic and auroral pulsations propagate poleward, and the frequency decreases with increasing geomagnetic latitude. When auroral Pc5 pulsations appear, the ratio of the 557.7/630.0 nm emission intensity sharply increases, which indicates that auroral pulsations result from not simply modulated particle precipitation but also an additional periodic acceleration of auroral electrons by the wave field. A high correlation is not observed between Pc5 pulsations in auroras and the riometer absorption, which indicates that these pulsations have a common source but different generation mechanisms. Auroral luminosity modulation is supposedly related to the interaction between Alfvén waves and the region with the field-aligned potential drop above the auroral ionosphere, and riometer absorption modulation is caused by the scattering of energetic electrons by VLF noise pulsations.     

Dependence of the Pc4 magnetic pulsation parameters on the radiated power of the EISCAT HF heating facility

The interaction between the Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere in a situation when artificial disturbances are generated in the F region of the auroral ionosphere with the EISCAT/Heating facility is studied. An experiment was performed in the daytime when the facility effective radiated power changed in a stepwise manner. Wavelike disturbances with periods of (130–140) s corresponding to Pc4 pulsations were simultaneously registered by the method of bi-static backscatter and with ground magnetometers. The variations in the Doppler frequency shift were correlated with the changes in the facility power. Incoherent scatter radar measurements at a frequency of 930 MHz (Tromsö) and numerical calculations were used in an analysis. It has been indicated that the ionospheric drift of small-scale artificial ionospheric irregularities was modulated by magnetospheric Alfvén waves. The possible effect of powerful HF radioemission on the Alfvén wave amplitude owing to the modification of the magnetospheric resonator ionospheric edge reflectivity and the generation of an outgoing Alfvén wave above the region where the ionospheric conductivity is locally intensified has been considered.     

Pc3–4 ULF waves at polar latitudes

A search for Pc3–4 wave activity was performed using data from a trans-Antarctic profile of search-coil magnetometers extending from the auroral zone through cusp latitudes and deep into the polar cap. Pc3–4 pulsations were found to be a ubiquitous element of ULF wave activity in all these regions. The diurnal variations of Pc3 and Pc4 pulsations at different latitudes have been statistically examined using discrimination between wave packets (pulsations) and noise. Daily variations of the Pc3–4 wave power differ for the stations at the polar cap, cusp, and auroral latitudes, which suggests the occurrence of several channels of propagation of upstream wave energy to the ground: via the equatorial magnetosphere, cusp, and lobe/mantle. An additional maximum of Pc3 pulsations during early-morning hours in the polar cap has been detected. This maximum, possibly, is due to the proximity of the geomagnetic field lines at these hours to the exterior cusp. The statistical relation between the occurrence of Pc3–4 pulsations and interplanetary parameters has been examined by analyzing normalized distributions of wave occurrence probability. The dependences of the occurrence probability of Pc3–4 pulsations on the IMF and solar wind parameters are nearly the same at all latitudes, but remarkably different for the Pc3 and Pc4 bands. We conclude that the mechanisms of high-latitude Pc3 and Pc4 pulsations are different: Pc3 waves are generated in the foreshock upstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock, whereas the source of the Pc4 activity is related to magnetospheric activity. Hourly Pc3 power has been found to be strongly dependent on the season: the power ratio between the polar summer and winter seasons is 8. The effect of substantial suppression of the Pc3 amplitudes during the polar night is reasonably well explained by the features of Alfven wave transmission through the ionosphere. Spectral analysis of the daily energy of Pc3 and Pc4 pulsations in the polar cap revealed the occurrence of several periodicities. Periodic modulations with periods 26, 13 and 8–9 days are caused by similar periodicities in the solar wind and IMF parameters, whereas the 18-day periodicity, observed during the polar winter only, is caused, probably, by modulation of the ionospheric conductance by atmospheric planetary waves. The occurrence of the narrow-band Pc3 waves in the polar cap is a challenge to modelers, because so far no band-pass filtering mechanism on open field lines has been identified.     

Wave diagnostics of the outer high-latitude ionosphere under application of numerical simulation of ionospheric filtration to simultaneous,conjugate, ground-based and satellite measurements of Pc1 signals

Summary Based on the French conjugate experiment of satellite and ground-based measurements of ULF signals on GEOS-1 and at Husafell, changes of the ionospheric filter in the course of a series of measurements of intensive Pc1 micropulsations (ICW) on 1. 8. 1977 were wave diagnosticated. Changes of the vertical profile of electron concentration in the outer high-latitude ionosphere were simulated numerically by solving approximately the inverse problem using the matrix method of numerical modelling of ionospheric filtration in Pc1 frequencies. It was found that the intensive ICW packets could have propagated through the corridor of the high-latitude ionospheric plasma through. Quantitative estimates of ionospheric changes, however, are usually upset by the effects of other factors in the course of the wave's propagation through the outer magnetosphere.     

Transient ULF pulsations: time dependence of magnetic fields observed at the ground

The continuum oscillation of a latitudinal range of closed geomagnetic field lines or shells appears to be a basic feature of the magnetosphere. Such oscillations are observed at the ground, and have been termed transient ULF pulsations. Earlier modelling showed that the apparent mean damping rate at the ground should be much greater than that in the magnetosphere. This modelling is extended to examine the time dependence of the magnetic field of transient pulsations as seen by a latitudinal chain of magnetometers. It is found that there should be significant temporal variation of both period and damping decrement observed at a given latitude, which could help to identify transient events even when the period variation with latitude is not obvious. Time-frequency analysis and analytical signal analysis do not seem to be effective in determining temporal parameter variation for the short, highly damped data segments typical of transient events. Least squares fitting of two decaying sinusoids gives surprisingly good results, but seems to have no physical basis, is difficult to interpret, and may be misleading. Least squares fitting of a single sinusoid with time-varying period and damping rate gives reasonably good fits. The resulting parameter variations with latitude may help to determine the structures of ionospheric current systems associated with transient ULF events. In particular, the time change of the period at a single station can determine where that station is relative to the ionospheric current maximum.     

Excitation of Alfvén waves and vortices in the ionospheric Alfvén resonator by modulated powerful radio waves

A review of the artificial excitation of Alfvén waves and vortices in the ionospheric Alfvén resonator (IAR) is presented. In the framework of simplified models of the IAR and the Alfvén vortex instability, we discuss the main physical phenomena arising under the periodic heating of the ionosphere by a powerful HF radio signal with a modulation frequency F which lies in the range of short-period geomagnetic pulsations (F = 0.1–10 Hz). The amplitudes, frequency spectra, and polarization characteristics of artificial pulsations on the ground are found, and a brief comparison with experimental data is made. The Alfvén vortex instability in the IAR is analysed from the point of view of its artificial triggering. Two ways of such a triggering are discussed. The first suggests the use of two spaced transmitter antenna which produce an ionospheric current being in resonance with Alfvén vortices. Existing heating facilities are suitable for this experiment. The second method is based on the change of macroscopic parameters of the ionosphere, such as the conductivity in the instability region. This method is simple, but requires more powerful heaters.     

Observations of Pc 3–4 and Pi 2 geomagnetic pulsations in the low-latitude ionosphere

Day-time Pc 3–4 (≃5–60 mHz) and night-time Pi 2 (≃5–20 mHz) ULF waves propagating down through the ionosphere can cause oscillations in the Doppler shift of HF radio transmissions that are correlated with the magnetic pulsations recorded on the ground. In order to examine properties of these correlated signals, we conducted a joint HF Doppler/magnetometer experiment for two six-month intervals at a location near L = 1.8. The magnetic pulsations were best correlated with ionospheric oscillations from near the F region peak. The Doppler oscillations were in phase at two different altitudes, and their amplitude increased in proportion to the radio sounding frequency. The same results were obtained for the O- and X-mode radio signals. A surprising finding was a constant phase difference between the pulsations in the ionosphere and on the ground for all frequencies below the local field line resonance frequency, independent of season or local time. These observations have been compared with theoretical predictions of the amplitude and phase of ionospheric Doppler oscillations driven by downgoing Alfvén mode waves. Our results agree with these predictions at or very near the field line resonance frequency but not at other frequencies. We conclude that the majority of the observations, which are for pulsations below the resonant frequency, are associated with downgoing fast mode waves, and models of the wave-ionosphere interaction need to be modified accordingly.     

赤道异常区内非导管哨声的射线跟踪

本文利用射线跟踪技术研究了电离层赤道异常区内地面哨声非导管传播的可能性。考察了负电离纬向梯度对非导管哨声传播的影响,并检验了哨声射线路径参数和群时延对频率的依赖关系。计算结果证明,夜间在赤道异常区内的电离层中,存在一些地面可检测哨声的非导管传播通道;沿位于通道内的射线路径传播的哨声波,透出电离层后,可同时激发电离层-地面波导的朝极和朝赤道方向传播;在磁纬10°附近,到达共轭电离层底部的射线有明显的“聚焦”效应。本文结果比较满意地解释了近年来在我国南部地区地面台网（磁纬19.4°N至5.5°N）同时观测到的一部分哨声的传播特征。     

ULF wave occurrence statistics in a high-latitude HF Doppler sounder

Ultra low frequency (ULF) wave activity in the high-latitude ionosphere has been observed by a high frequency (HF) Doppler sounder located at Tromsø, Norway (69.71°N, 19.2°E geographic coordinates). A statistical study of the occurrence of these waves has been undertaken from data collected between 1979 and 1984. The diurnal, seasonal, solar cycle and geomagnetic activity variations in occurrence have been investigated. The findings demonstrate that the ability of the sounder to detect ULF wave signatures maximises at the equinoxes and that there is a peak in occurrence in the morning sector. The occurrence rate is fairly insensitive to changes associated with the solar cycle but increases with the level of geomagnetic activity. As a result, it has been possible to characterise the way in which prevailing ionospheric and magnetospheric conditions affect such observations of ULF waves.     

Observations of PC5 pulsations near field-aligned current regions

Examples of long period Pc5 magnetic field pulsations near field-aligned current (FAC) regions in the high-latitude magnetosphere, observed by INTERBALL-Auroral satellite during January 11, April 11 and June 28, 1997 are shown. Identification of corresponding magnetosphere regions and subregions is provided by electrons and protons in the energy-range of 0.01–100 keV measured simultaneously onboard the spacecraft. The examined Pc5 pulsations reveal a compressional character. A fairly good correlation is demonstrated between these ULF Pc5 waves and the consecutive injection of magnetosheath low energy protons. The ULF Pc5 wave occurrence is observed in both upward and downward FACs.     

High-latitude HF Doppler observations of ULF waves. 1. Waves with large spatial scale sizes

A quantitative study of observations of the ionospheric signatures of magnetospheric ultra low frequency (ULF) waves by a high-latitude (geographic: 69.6°N 19.2°E) high-frequency Doppler sounder has been undertaken. The signatures, which are clearly correlated with pulsations in ground magnetometer data, exhibit periods in the range 100–400 s and have azimuthal wave numbers in the range 3–8. They are interpreted here as local field line resonances. Phase information provided by O- and X-mode Doppler data support the view that these are associated with field line resonances having large azimuthal scale sizes. The relative phases and amplitudes of the signatures in the Doppler and ground magnetometer data are compared with a model for the generation of Doppler signatures from incident ULF waves. The outcome suggests that the dominant mechanism involved in producing the Doppler signature is the vertical component of an E × B bulk motion of the local plasma caused by the electric field perturbation of the ULF wave.     

Characteristics of the ionospheric correction in ULF wave diagnostics of the magnetosphere

Summary Amplitude and energy correction character istics of the vertical propagation of ULF wave from the magnetosphere through the ionosphere to the Earth's surface, necessary for micropulsation wave diagnostics of the magnetosphere by means of ground-based observations, are introduced on the basis of matrices ofR–T coefficients [1–3]. The coefficients of vertical reflexibility, penetrability, transmissibility (or limpidity) and the absorption of the electromagnetic energy flux are defined, as well as analogous coefficients in the dimensions of the magnetic amplitude of the ULF wave, propagating through the given layer of the ionosphere. An examplary model of the ionosphere is used to demonstrate the frequency variations of these characteristics in the ULF wave range.     

2007年3月3日长时间持续Pc5 ULF波的多点联合观测分析

2007年3月3日位于磁层昏侧THEMIS的5颗卫星、同步轨道晨侧和午前的GOES 3颗卫星和地面地磁台站同时观测到了持续近4 h的Pc5 ULF波.我们用交叉小波相关分析计算脉动的传播速度,用MVA分析求解脉动的传播方向,然后结合两者的计算结果获得了Pc5相速度矢量信息.THEMIS卫星观测到Pc5具有压缩特性,且向阳传播,速度约在6~20 km/s左右,相比于磁层中阿尔芬速度(1000 km/s)较低.这些Pc5 ULF波动可能产生于磁尾或磁层内部不稳定性.GOES 3颗卫星观测到不同情况的Pc5 ULF波,极向模占主要成分,且具有波包结构,具有阿尔芬驻波特性,可能产生于K-H(Kelvin-Helmholtz)不稳定性.地面台站观测到ULF波扰动幅度随纬度升高而增强,Pc5脉动在地理纬度60°附近达到最大值, Dumont durville台站观测到的脉动与THEMIS观测到波形有很好的相似性.