Geomagnetic Pc3 Pulsations During the Total Solar Eclipse on Aug 11, 1999

The solar eclipse on August 11, 1999, observed in the region covered by many geomagnetic observatories, has offered a unique opportunity to look for an effect of the eclipse on geomagnetic pulsations. The pulsation activity digital data have been taken from Budkov Observatory in the Czech Republic (in the X component only), from observatories in Germany (Niemegk, Fürstenfeldbruck, Bad Bergzabern), in Hungary (Nagycenk), and for comparison in South Africa (Hermanus, conjugate-point station), and in Finland (Sodankylä, far from the eclipse zone). At all these stations the field in all three component has been recorded. The pulsation amplitudes in the X component exhibit a long-term minimum near the time of the eclipse. Spectral analysis of selected short intervals confirmed this decrease and also revealed a decrease of the average pulsation period during the eclipse. Such a change in the amplitude or in the period was not observed outside of the eclipse interval or in other days. Investigation in some narrower frequency bands showed that the maximal decrease occurred in the 15–20 s band. All these changes can be found in records from all the stations near the eclipse totality belt, also in records at the conjugate-point station, where no eclipse occurred. No signature has been found in records at the station situated far from the eclipse zone.     

Afternoon Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations on the Earth’s surface and in the ionosphere (STARE radars)

Two cases when Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations were registered at the IMAGE Scandinavian network of stations and with STARE radars in the afternoon sector (1700–1800 MLT) during the recovery phase of the moderate magnetic storm are analyzed in detail. Using the ground-based observations, it has been indicated that classical quasimonochromatic resonance Pc5 pulsations were observed in the first case (on October 12, 1999; Kp = 5); in this case the maximal amplitude of the spectral maximum at a frequency of 2.5 mHz was registered at Φ ～ 65°. Two maximums were observed in the spectrum in the second case (on October 13, 1999; Kp = 4): ～2.5 mHz (the same maximum) and 2.9 mHz; in this case the maximal oscillation amplitude (2.5 mHz) shifted to Φ > 67°. These results were compared with the echo signal intensity simultaneously registered with the STARE Finland radar on a beam oriented along the 105° geomagnetic meridian. The spatial-temporal maps of the Pc5 pulsation amplitude latitudinal distribution (“keograms”), constructed based on the radar measurements in the wide range of geomagnetic latitudes (63°–70°) where the resolution was substantially higher than that of the ground-based observations, made it possible to detect two regions spaced in latitude (Φ ～ 65° and Φ ～ 67°–68°) with the simultaneous excitation of oscillations (double resonance?), between which the plasmapause projection was supposedly located.     

The Beijing network of digital geomagnetic pulsation observatories

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Spectral analysis of geomagneticPc3 pulsations recorded at the observatories of Budkov and Belsk

Summary The numerical method of Fourier's spectral analysis is used to treat 29 pairs of samples of pc3 pulsations recorded at the observatories of Budkov (Czechoslovakia) and Belsk (Poland). The amplitude, frequency and phase characteristics of their spectra are compared. The polarization characteristics of the spectral frequency components of pulsations recorded at both observatories are compared in a quasi-stationary approximation of a plane oscillation.     

Relations of field line resonances and upstream waves and the winter attenuation of pulsations

Using data on the occurrence frequency of geomagnetic pulsations of different periods from three observatories in Central Europe, conclusions are drawn about the occurrence of field line resonances and pulsations directly driven by upstream waves at L-values below 3. It was found that both types occur during the interval studied (first 6 months of the year 1991), but both the occurrence frequency of the two types and the characteristic period of the field line resonance change significantly as compared to other intervals. During Northern winter, pulsation activity is severely damped in solar maximum years, including the year 1991. The decrease in the activity of the pulsations is more significant at shorter periods.     

Long-period geomagnetic pulsations in the quasi-conjugate arctic and antarctic regions during the magnetic storm of April 16–17, 1999

Based on the observations in six pairs of almost conjugate high-latitude stations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, the spectral and spatial-temporal structures of long-period geomagnetic pulsations (f = 2–5 mHz) during the magnetic storm of April 16–17, 1999, which is characterized by a high (up to 20 nPa) solar wind dynamic pressure, have been studied. It has been indicated that the magnetic storm sudden commencement is accompanied by a symmetrical excitation of np pulsations near the dayside polar cusps with close amplitudes. Under the conditions when IMF B _z > 0 and B _y < 0, strong magnetic field variations with the periods longer than 15–20 min were observed only in the northern polar cap. When IMF B _z and B _y became close to zero, geomagnetic pulsation bursts in both hemispheres were registered simultaneously but differed in the spectral composition and spatial distribution. In the Northern Hemisphere, pulsations were as a rule observed in a more extensive latitude region than in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the oscillation amplitude maximum was observed at higher latitudes than in the Southern Hemisphere. The pulsation amplitude at geomagnetic latitude lower than 74° was larger in the Arctic Regions than in the Antarctic Regions. This can be explained by sharply different geographic longitudes in the polar cap and latitudes in the auroral zone, which results in a different ionospheric conductivity affecting the amplitude of geomagnetic pulsations.     

Investigation of the damping of geomagneticPi2 pulsations using generalized spectral analysis

Summary The method of spectral analysis has been modified to render the spectrum not only a function of frequency, but also of damping. The generalized spectra of damped geomagnetic pulsations, recorded at the observatories of Budkov and Dymer, are computed. The degree of damping of these pulsations in the X and Y-components at both stations is determined. The results are compared with results obtained using other methods.     

A nonlinear displacement of Pc5 latitudinal profiles

A pronounced difference exists between the theory, which definitely indicates that magnetospheric oscillations are anharmonic, and the experimental study of geomagnetic pulsations. The experimental study of the nonlinearity of the Pc5 pulsation amplitude latitudinal profile (the range of periods is 150–600 s) is considered. The Pc5 registrations at the IMAGE meridional chain of station were used to search for nonlinear distortions of the profile. Using a specific event, it has been indicated that the Pc5 amplitude peak shifts northward along the meridian with decreasing oscillation amplitude. The coefficient of nonlinear distortions in the latitudinal profile has been determined based on the measurements. The main conclusion consists in that a delicate problem of geomagnetic pulsation anharmonicity can be entirely studied experimentally.     

Intensity of Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations observed on the Earth’s surface, depending on the corresponding oscillation mode (poloidal or toroidal) in the magnetosphere

Thirty-six cases of Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations on the GOES-8 geostationary satellite for 2001, which had amplitudes equal to several nanoteslas and continued for more than an hour, have been studied. Twenty-two and 14 pulsations were toroidal and poloidal, respectively. All these pulsations were compared with geomagnetic observations at the Poste-de-la-Baleine observatory (PBQ), which was located near the satellite projection. It was established that the pulsation frequencies on the ground and in the magnetosphere do not always coincide. It has been detected that poloidal oscillations have small and large amplitudes on the ground and in the magnetosphere, respectively; the situation is opposite for toroidal oscillations. The amplitude of ground-level pulsations to a larger degree depends on the azimuthal field component in the magnetosphere than on the radial component.     

Generation of a burst of geomagnetic pulsations in the 1–3 Hz frequency range in the daytime sector as a result of dramatic increases in the solar wind dynamic pressure

The spatio-temporal evolution of geomagnetic pulsation bursts at frequencies of 1–3 Hz, observed at the Mondy (MLT ≈ 1200; M_lat = 46.8°; L = 2.16) and Borok (MLT ≈ 0820; M_lat = 54.0°; L = 2.94) midlatitude observatories and Lovozero auroral observatory (MLT ≈ 0820; M_lat = 64.2°; L = 5.36), has been studied. The considered bursts were registered in daytime sector of the magnetosphere after sudden impulses (SIs) caused by dramatic increases in the solar wind dynamic pressure and registered on board the WIND satellite. The SI onset time corresponds to the Sc* time shown in the Geomagnetic Indices Bulletin. The possible relationship between the excitation of these bursts and the variations in the particle partial density in the range of energies 0.03–45 keV per unit charge has been studied. The bursts were registered on board the LANL geosynchronous satellites. A comparison of the particle partial density variations measured on the satellites and the variation temperature anisotropy (A = T_⊥/T_‖ − 1) with the variations in the pulsation burst amplitude on the ground indicated that the partial density maximum and the minimum (A ≤ 0) of the electron temperature anisotropy index in the vicinity of local noon coincide in time with the pulsation generation instant. A comparison of the electron partial density variations on the LANL-1994 and LANL-97A geosynchronous satellites spaced in longitude and the spatio-temporal variations in the development of bursts make it possible to assume that 1–3 Hz geomagnetic pulsations are excited in the vicinity of local noon and subsequently propagate along the ionospheric waveguide.     

The recovery phase of the superstrong magnetic storm of July 15–17, 2000: Substorms and ULF pulsations

The geomagnetic observations, performed at the global network of ground-based observatories during the recovery phase of the superstrong magnetic storm of July 15–17, 2000 (Bastille Day Event, Dst = ?301 nT), have been analyzed. It has been indicated that magnetic activity did not cease at the beginning of the storm recovery phase but abruptly shifted to polar latitudes. Polar cap substorms were accompanied by the development of intense geomagnetic pulsations in the morning sector of auroral latitudes. In this case oscillations at frequencies of 1–2 and 3–4 mHz were observed at geomagnetic latitudes higher and lower than ～62°, respectively. It has been detected that the spectra of variations in the solar wind dynamic pressure and the amplitude spectra of geomagnetic pulsations on the Earth’s surface were similar. Wave activity unexpectedly appeared in the evening sector of auroral latitudes after the development of near-midnight polar substorms. It has been established that the generation of Pc5 pulsations (in this case at frequencies of 3–4 mHz) was spatially asymmetric about noon during the late stage of the recovery phase of the discussed storm as took place during the recovery phase of the superstrong storms of October and November 2003. Intense oscillations were generated in the morning sector at the auroral latitudes and in the postnoon sector at the subauroral and middle latitudes. The cause of such an asymmetry, typical of the recovery phase of superstrong magnetic storms, remains unknown.     

地震期间的地磁脉动效应

１９９６年１１月１７日至１１月２９日在新疆喀仁地区８次地震期间观测到的震前发生的高频地磁脉动现象,文中对每次地震前的Ｐｃｌ－２脉动的形态,以及脉动的起动时刻,持续时间,Ｈ分量和Ｄ分量的平均振幅随北京地方时的分布进行了详细研究分析,对这种震前观测到的高频地磁脉动的激发机制也做了深入的讨论,事实表明,这种震前发生的高频地磁脉动的地震的短期预报上可能有广泛的应用前景。     

Analysis of latitudinal distribution of Pi2 geomagnetic pulsations using the generalized variance method

The spatial dynamics of bursts of geomagnetic Pi2-type pulsations during a typical event of a magnetospheric substorm (April 13, 2010) drifting to the pole was investigated using the method of generalized variance characterizing the integral time increment of the total horizontal amplitude of the wave at a given point in the selected time interval. The digital data of Scandinavian profile observations from IMAGE magnetometers with 10-second sampling and data of the INTERMAGNET project observations at the equatorial, middle-latitude and subauroral latitudes with a 1-second sampling were used in the analysis. It was shown that Pi2 pulsation bursts in a frequency band of 8–20 mHz appear simultaneously on a global scale: from the polar to equatorial latitudes with maximum amplitudes at latitudes of the maximum intensity of the auroral electrojet and with a maximum amplitude of geomagnetic pulsations Pi3 within a band of 1.5–6 mHz. The first (left-polarized) intensive Pi2 burst appeared at auroral latitudes several minutes after breakup, while the second (right-polarized) burst occurred 15 min after breakup but at higher (polar) latitudes where the substorm had displaced by that time. The direction of wave-polarization vector rotation was opposite for auroral and subauroral latitudes, but it was identical at the equator and in the subauroral zone. The pulsation amplitude at the equator was maximal in the night sector.     

Periodic modulation of Pc3 and Pc4 pulsations in the polar cap by interplanetary and atmospheric processes

The variations in the daily average energy of geomagnetic pulsations and noise in the Pc3 (20–60 mHz) and Pc4 (10–19 mHz) frequency bands in the polar cap have been studied based on the data from P5 Antarctic station (corrected geomagnetic latitude ?87°) from November 1998 to November 1999. The daily average pulsation energy has been calculated using the method for detecting the wave packets, the spectral amplitude of which is higher than the threshold level, from the dynamic spectrum. A spectral analysis of the energy of pulsations and noise in the Pc3 and Pc4 bands, performed using the maximal entropy method, has revealed periodicities of 18 days in the local winter and 26, 13, and 7–9 days during the local summer. The simultaneous and coherent variations with periods of 26, 13, and 7–9 days in the solar wind velocity and IMF orientation indicate that the variations in the Pc3–4 wave energy in the polar cap at a sunlit ionosphere are mainly controlled by the parameters of the interplanetary medium. The variations in the Pc3–4 wave energy with a period of 18 days are observed only during the local winter and are supposedly related to the variations in the ionospheric conductivity modulated by planetary waves.     

Identification and classification of transient pulses observed in magnetometer array data by time-domain principal component analysis filtering

A method for identification of pulsations in time series of magnetic field data which are simultaneously present in multiple channels of data at one or more sensor locations is described. Candidate pulsations of interest are first identified in geomagnetic time series by inspection.Time series of these ‘‘training events' ' are represented in matrix form and transpose-multiplied to generate timedomain covariance matrices. The ranked eigenvectors of this matrix are stored as a feature of the pulsation. In the second stage of the algorithm, a sliding window(approximately the width of the training event) is moved across the vector-valued time-series comprising the channels on which the training event was observed. At each window position, the data covariance matrix and associated eigenvectors are calculated. We compare the orientation of the dominant eigenvectors of the training data to those from the windowed data and flag windows where the dominant eigenvectors directions are similar. This was successful in automatically identifying pulses which share polarization and appear to be from the same source process. We apply the method to a case study of continuously sampled(50 Hz) data from six observatories, each equipped with threecomponent induction coil magnetometers. We examine a90-day interval of data associated with a cluster of four observatories located within 50 km of Napa, California,together with two remote reference stations-one 100 km to the north of the cluster and the other 350 km south. When the training data contains signals present in the remote reference observatories, we are reliably able to identify and extract global geomagnetic signals such as solar-generatednoise. When training data contains pulsations only observed in the cluster of local observatories, we identify several types of non-plane wave signals having similar polarization.     

利用地磁脉动预报地球同步轨道相对论电子通量的方法研究

本文利用低纬地磁台站的Pi1、Pi2地磁脉动（Pi1-2）资料和地球同步轨道的Pc5地磁脉动资料,对2004年1月到2006年12月38个磁暴事件的地磁脉动参数进行了统计分析.在此基础上,考虑相对论电子的局部加速机制,并加入损失机制,建立了一个初步的磁暴期间地球同步轨道相对论电子通量对数值的预报模型.利用该模型,我们对上述38个磁暴事件进行预报试验,最优化结果是：相对论电子通量对数值的预测值和观测值之间的线性相关系数为0.82,预报效率为0.67.这说明该模式具有较好的预报效果,也表明利用地磁脉动参数进行相对论电子通量预报是可行的.     

Hardness variation rate of precipitating electrons during <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pi</Emphasis>3 auroral pulsations

Photometric measurements of pulsating auroras have been carried out in the Pi3 range of geomagnetic pulsations with periods of 2–10 min with the use of auroral all-sky camera films obtained at the Lovozero Observatory. The new all-sky camera developed at the Polar Geophysical Institute uses the CCD matrix. This makes it possible to obtain simultaneous images in red, green, and blue spectral ranges and thus to investigate temporal luminosity variations in these spectral regions. The hardness of penetrating auroral electrons with a time resolution of a few seconds is qualitatively estimated. It is found that the energy of the electrons that cause auroras in the Pi3 pulsation range is not constant over the pulsation period. It is maximal at the lowest luminosity and minimal at its peaks. Luminosity pulsations are compared with geomagnetic pulsations, and it is established that large differences between luminosity variations in different parts of the sky explain the incomplete correspondence between the records of auroral and geomagnetic pulsations.     

A determination of the hydromagnetic waves polarization from their perturbations on the terminator

The influence of the homogeneous and inhomogeneous ionosphere on the orientation angle of the horizontal magnetic vectors of the long-time geomagnetic pulsations is under consideration in this study. It was realized that this angle is small in the case of the homogeneous ionosphere for both the Alfvén and magnetosonic types of oscillations. An increase in the ionospheric electric field was discovered as the ionospheric conductivity changes during the switch from day to night conditions. It is valid only for the initial Alfvén wave. The ionospheric equivalent current systems excited by the initial magnetospheric waves of Alfvén and magnetosonic types as well as their behavior near the terminator were studied for different seasons. For the Alfvén source, seasonal variations of the orientation angle close to sunrise at the equator depend on the type of source: odd or even modes of Alfvén oscillations excite observable pulsations. It was found that the ionospheric two-vortex equivalent current system of the long-period pulsations arising in high-latitudes in the equatorial region alters not only its direction, but its intensity too. The largest anomaly (\sim25% of the source value) would be expected near the terminator. A new experimental method was suggested to recognize the type of incident magnetospheric waves by implementing observations either at a single observatory or at a couple of observatories. In the case of a single observatory it is proposed to study the frequency dependence of the orientation angle of their magnetic components close to sunrise. If the initial wave is magnetosonic, this angle must not be changed as a function of the local time within the wide frequency range of pulsations. When pulsations have an orientation angle sensitive to the presence of the terminator, they may be classified as both Alfvén and magnetosonic. For the Alfvén waves no frequency dependence of the orientational angle is peculiar. On the contrary, magnetosonic waves should be determined as oscillations with an orientational angle proportional to the frequency. These oscillations may be revealed at observatories located on the high-resistance cross sections. The example of the spectral-temporal analysis of pulsation at the equatorial observatory in Huancayo was demonstrated to confirm the proposed experimental technique. A weak dependence of the orientation angle anomaly on the frequency near the terminator was found. The latter is evidence for the dominant contribution of the Alfvén waves to low-latitude and equatorial oscillations.     

Quantitative estimation of local geomagnetic activity relative to the level of the magnetically quiet period in 2009

A new method for determining geomagnetic activity based on calculation of the hourly amplitudes of geomagnetic field variations at ground-based observatories has been developed. Observations performed in 2009, when unusually low solar and geomagnetic activity was registered, were used as a reference level. The described method was used to estimate the energy of local geomagnetic activity; such energy is estimated for observatories in the Earth’s Northern and Southern hemispheres, and a total estimation is made for both hemispheres and for the entire Earth’s surface during large magnetic storms. These are used to compare characteristics of magnetic storm intensity based on the classical Kp and Dst indices and calculated energy estimate.     

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.