Dependence of volumes of magnetic flux tubes on plasma pressure and disturbance in the magnetic field in the axially symmetric case

We have analyzed the applicability of the approximation of the axially symmetric magnetic field created by the dipole field and the currents flowing in the plasma for describing the Dst variation value during magnetic storms and the dependence of the position of the pressure maximum on the volumes of magnetic flux tubes on the plasma pressure. We have determined the dependence of the disturbance in the field on the geocentric distance. We have shown that the experimentally obtained dependence on the position of the pressure maximum on Dst is described in the assumption on the correctness of the adiabatic law on changes in pressure with a change in geocentric distance. We have calculated the values of the magnetic field distortion and the value of the Dst variation for the experimentally determined radial pressure profile for three magnetic storms with Dst ∼ 100 nT. We have shown that, with allowance for nonlinear magnetic field distortions, the axially symmetric part of the ring current makes the main contribution to the value of the Dst variation.     

Contribution of global Pc5 oscillations to magnetic disturbance during geomagnetic storms

The contribution of global magnetospheric oscillations to magnetic disturbance during magnetospheric storms is studied. The bases of magnetic data from the INTERMAGNET global network in combination with the interplanetary and intramagnetospheric measurements of the magnetic field and plasma and the sets of the Kp, Dst, and AE indices are used for this purpose. The most favorable conditions in the solar wind and magnetosphere for generation of global Pc5 have been revealed. The contribution of these oscillations to the variations in the magnetic disturbance level, characterized by the AE index, has been estimated. The findings confirm that magnetospheric MHD oscillations participate in the processes of energy income from the solar wind and energy dissipation in the magnetosphere.     

Modeling the Dst variation during magnetic storms

A unified method for calculating the Dst index and its components using models of the magnetospheric magnetic field is proposed. The method is consistent with the procedure for calculating Dst from the ground-based magnetometer data. When calculating Dst, the quiet-day magnetic variation is subtracted from the model variation of the magnetic field of magnetospheric sources. The effect of induced currents flowing in the surface layer of the Earth’s crust is taken into account. The dynamics of the magnetospheric current systems during a storm is studied based on an analysis of the Dst components. The magnetic field components for a “quiet” day in June 1998 are studied. The calculations of the Dst components in the parabolid and T01 models demonstrate that the maximum contributions of the ring current and magnetotail current system to the Dst variation are comparable for the magnetic storm of June 25–26, 1998.     

Auroral electrojet dynamics during magnetic storms, connection with plasma precipitation and large-scale structure of the magnetospheric magnetic field

Effect of the equatorward shift of the eastward and westward electrojets during magnetic storms main phase is analyzed based on the meridional chains of magnetic observatories EISCAT and IMAGE and several Russian observatories (geomagnetic longitude ≈110°, corrected geomagnetic latitudes 74°>φ>51°.) Magnetic storms of various Dst index intensity where the main phase falls on 1000 UT - 2400 UT interval were selected so that one of the observatory chains was located in the afternoon - near midnight sector of MLT. The eastward electrojet center shifts equatorward with Dst intensity increase: when Dst ≈ −50 nT the electrojet center is located at φ ≈ 62°, when Dst ≈ −300 nT it is placed at φ ≈ 54°. The westward electrojet center during magnetic storms main phase for intervals between substorms shifts equatorward with Dst increase: at φ ≈ 62° when Dst ≈ −100 nT and at φ ≈ 55° when Dst ≈ −300 nT. During substorms within the magnetic storms intervals the westward electrojet widens poleward covering latitudes φ ≈ 64°–65°. DMSP (F08, F10 and F11) satellite observations of auroral energy plasma precipitations at upper atmosphere altitudes were used to determine precipitation region structure and location of boundaries of various plasma domains during magnetic storms on May 10–11, 1992, February 5–7 and February 21–22, 1994. Interrelationships between center location, poleward and equatorward boundaries of electrojets and characteristic plasma regions are discussed. The electrojet center, poleward and equatorward boundaries along the magnetic observatories meridional chain were mapped to the magnetosphere using the geomagnetic field paraboloid model. The location of auroral energy oxygen ion regions in the night and evening magnetosphere is determined. Considerations are presented on the mechanism causing the appearance in the inner magnetosphere during active intervals of magnetic storms of ions with energy of tens KeV. In the framework of the magnetospheric magnetic field paraboloid model the influence of the ring current and magnetospheric tail plasma sheet currents on large-scale magnetosphere structure is considered.     

Dependence of geomagnetic activity during magnetic storms on the solar wind parameters for different types of streams

The dependence of the maximal values of the |Dst| and AE geomagnetic indices observed during magnetic storms on the value of the interplanetary electric field (E _y ) was studied based on the catalog of the large-scale solar wind types created using the OMNI database for 1976–2000 [Yermolaev et al., 2009]. An analysis was performed for eight categories of magnetic storms caused by different types of solar wind streams: corotating interaction regions (CIR, 86 storms); magnetic clouds (MC, 43); Sheath before MCs (Sh_MC, 8); Ejecta (95); Sheath (Sh_E, 56); all ICME events (MC + Ejecta, 138); all compression regions Sheaths before MCs and Ejecta (Sh_MC + Sh_E, 64); and an indeterminate type of storm (IND, 75). It was shown that the |Dst| index value increases with increasing electric field E _y for all eight types of streams. When electric fields are strong (E _y > 11 mV m⁻¹), the |Dst| index value becomes saturated within magnetic clouds MCs and possibly within all ICMEs (MC + Ejecta). The AE index value during magnetic storms is independent of the electric field value E _y for almost all streams except magnetic clouds MCs and possibly the compressed (Sheath) region before them (Sh_MC). The AE index linearly increases within MC at small values of the electric field (E _y < 11 mV m⁻¹) and decrease when these fields are strong (E _y > 11 mV m⁻¹). Since the dynamic pressure (Pd) and IMF fluctuations (σB) correlate with the E _y value in all solar wind types, both geomagnetic indices (|Dst| and AE) do not show an additional dependence on Pd and IMF δB. The nonlinear relationship between the intensities of the |Dst| and AE indices and the electric field E _y component, observed within MCs and possibly all ICMEs during strong electric fields E _y , agrees with modeling the magnetospheric-ionospheric current system of zone 1 under the conditions of the polar cap potential saturation.     

Dipole magnetic-field disturbance and generation of current systems by asymmetric plasma pressure

Nonlinear disturbance of the dipole field by nonaxisymmetric plasma pressure distribution was analyzed under the assumption of magnetostatic equilibrium for finite values of the plasma parameter at the pressure maximum area. The distributions of isolines of the constant value of magnetic-field component B _Z and the volume of magnetic flux tube in the equatorial plane were obtained. At a finite plasma pressure, local minima and maxima of the magnetic field are formed. The formation of these local maxima and minima leads to the formation of contours (not surrounding the Earth) B _min = const, where B _min is the minimum magnetic field on the magnetic field line. This changes the direction of the gradient of the volume of the magnetic flux tube. The configuration of appearing field-aligned currents was determined. The results obtained are discussed in terms of their use in explaining a number of effects observed in the Earth’s magnetosphere.     

Geomagnetic factor of Dst variations in the selective generation of ionospheric characteristic waves

HF Waves of rotating polarization have been experimentally studied on the Magadan-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii path. It has been obtained that the degree of suppression of one of the characteristic waves during the selective polarization generation depends on the Dst value and sign. It has been established that changes in the amplitude ratio of the signals received from the antennas of clockwise and counterclockwise polarization are maximal at a quiet geomagnetic field when Dst is positive. Under the conditions of medium disturbance of the geomagnetic field and small-scale negative Dst values, it has not been ruled out that the second characteristic wave can be observed at a receiving point in the case when one of the characteristic waves is generated. Selective polarization generation of one of the characteristic waves can be mainly masked by an increase in small-scale irregularities of ionospheric plasma.     

Interchange instability as a mechanism of magnetotail current disruption at the magnetic storm recovery phase

The theory of relaxation of geomagnetic depression observed during magnetic storm has been proposed based on the knowledge of the interaction between the Dst index and the magnetotail current. It has been indicated that the disruption of the tail current that was enhanced during the storm main phase can be caused by the interchange instability, which develops in the boundary plasma sheet due to the sheet curvature in the near to the Earth region and due to a sharp, directed toward the curvature center, plasma pressure gradient at the boundary between the plasma sheet and the tail lobe. The dispersion equation and expression for the instability growth rate have been obtained. The theoretically predicted characteristic time of storm depression relaxation τ is ～10 h and is in good agreement with the experimental estimate.     

Effectiveness of fast electron retention in the magnetic cavern during disturbance of the magnetic field azimuthal symmetry

The loss rate of fast electrons (with an energy much higher than the energy of the plasma electron thermal motion), when they leave a magnetic cavern during a disturbance of the magnetic field azimuthal symmetry, is studied. The cases of point and volume sources of fast particles have been considered. The plasma density in the cavern is supposed to be low, so that collisions of fast electrons with plasma particles can be neglected. The effect of the electric field on particle motion is neglected because it is assumed that the electric charge particles outgoing from the cavern is compensated by the counter current of plasma conductivity electrons. The dependence of the loss value on the harmonic number and the amplitude of the cavern boundary radius disturbance has been obtained.     

Dependence of geomagnetic activity during magnetic storms on solar-wind parameters for different types of streams: 4. Simulation for magnetic clouds

In this work, we confirm the possibility of approximating the main phase of a magnetic storm (Dst ≤ ?50 nT) caused by magnetic clouds (MCs) with a linear dependence on solar-wind parameters, which are integral electric field sumEy, dynamic pressure Pd, and level of field fluctuations σB. The results show that the main phase of magnetic storm induced by MC is described best by a model with individual values of the main phase approximation coefficients: the correlation coefficient between the measured and model Dst values is 0.99, and the rms deviation is 2.6 nT. The model version with coefficients averaged over all storms describes the main phase much more poorly: the correlation coefficient is 0.65, and the rms deviation is 21.7 nT. A more precise version of the model of the storm main phase induced by MC was developed after introducing corrections that takes into account the history of development of onset of the magnetic-storm main phase: the correlation coefficient is 0.83, and the rms deviation is 15.6 nT. The Dst prediction results during the main phase using the technique suggested are shown for individual magnetic storms as examples.     

Are our ideas about Dst correct?

The idea of two separate storm time ring currents, a symmetric and an asymmetric one has accepted since the 1960s. The existence of a symmetric equatorial ring current was concluded from Dst. However, the asymmetric development of the low-latitude geomagnetic disturbance field during storms lead to the assumption of the real existence of an asymmetric ring current. I think it is time to inquire whether this conception is correct. Thus, I have investigated the development of the low-latitude geomagnetic field during all the magnetic local times under disturbed and quiet conditions. The storm on February 6–9, 1986 and a statistical analysis of many storms has shown that the asymmetry does not vanish during the storm recovery phase. The ratio between the recovery phase asymmetry and the main phase asymmetry is low only for powerful storms. Storms of moderate intensity show the opposite. The global picture of the field evolution of the February storm shows clear differences at different local times. For instance the main phase and recovery phase start time does not coincide with Dst. Also the ring current decay is not the same at different local times. Therefore, Dst gives an incorrect picture of the field development. Moreover, asymmetry does not disappear during international quiet days as the investigation of the low-latitude geomagnetic field shows. Considering all these observations, I think we must revise our ideas about the ring current. In my opinion only one ring current exists and this is an asymmetric one. This asymmetry increases during storms and develops rather fast to more or less symmetric conditions. However, in no case is itjustified to conclude from Dst that a symmetric ring current exists.     

Comparative analysis of disturbances in the midlatitude ionospheric F 2 layer during strong and extreme magnetic storms in March 2001 according to the data from magnetically conjugate ground ionospheric stations

Ionospheric disturbances at heights of the F ₂ layer maximum during the strong magnetic storm (the minimum value of the Dst index was ?149 nT) and the magnetic superstorm (the minimum value of the Dst index was ?387 nT) have been compared based on the data from two pairs of magnetically conjugate midlatitude ground stations for ionospheric vertical sounding. The storms began on March 19, 2001, and March 31, 2001, respectively. It has been obtained that almost only negative ionospheric disturbances were observed in the Northern and Southern hemispheres in both cases. The maximum effect in changes in the layer critical frequency (foF2) in both hemispheres has a time delay relative to the moment of the maximum disturbance in the Dst index on the order of 3–4 h for the strong storm and about 1 h for the superstorm. The disturbed variations in the foF2 critical frequency in different hemispheres correlate well with each other in the plane of one magnetic meridian, but the correlation substantially weakens at different magnetic longitudes. An assumption is made that the revealed features of the behavior of the disturbed midlatitude ionospheric F ₂ layer are caused by the complex character of the thermospheric response to the energy release in the auroral zone during the considered magnetic storms.     

Effect of the ponderomotive force caused by Alfvén waves on a background plasma in the dayside magnetosphere

The effect of the ponderomotive force on the background plasma modification near magnetic holes, which form at the dayside magnetospheric boundary under the action of the solar wind, has been studied. It was shown that this effect results in a substantial increase in a nonlinear plasma density disturbance. The dependence of the ponderomotive force on the magnetospheric parameters (the magnetic longitude, distance from the Earth’s surface, ratio of the wave frequency to the proton gyrofrequency, and ionospheric ion cyclotron wave amplitude) has been studied. Nonlinear plasma density disturbances will be maximal in the region of magnetic holes, which are located in the dayside magnetosphere at λ ~ 0°?30° geomagnetic longitudes (λ = 0° corresponds to noon), where the effect of the solar wind pressure is maximal. A similar effect is also observed in the dependence of a nonlinear plasma density disturbance on other magnetospheric parameters.     

Energy balance during intense and super-intense magnetic storms using an Akasofu ε parameter corrected by the solar wind dynamic pressure

Geomagnetic storms are large disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by enhanced solar wind–magnetosphere energy transfer. One of the main manifestations of a geomagnetic storm is the ring current enhancement. It is responsible for the decrease in the geomagnetic field observed at ground stations. In this work, we study the ring current dynamics during two different levels of magnetic storms. Thirty-three events are selected during the period 1981–2004. Eighteen out of 33 events are very intense (or super-intense) magnetic storms (Dst ⩽−250 nT) and the remaining are intense magnetic storms (−250<Dst ⩽−100 nT). Interplanetary data from spacecraft in the solar wind near Earth's orbit (ACE, IMP-8, ISEE-3) and geomagnetic indices (Dst and Sym-H) are analyzed. Our aim is to evaluate the interplanetary characteristics (interplanetary dawn–dusk electric field, interplanetary magnetic field component B_S), the ε parameter, and the total energy input into the magnetosphere (Wε) for these two classes of magnetic storms. Two corrections on the ε energy coupling function are made: the first one is an already known correction in the magnetopause radius to take into account the variation in the solar wind pressure. The second correction on the Akasofu parameter, first proposed in this work, accounts for the reconnection efficiency as a function of the solar wind ram pressure. Geomagnetic data/indices are also employed to study the ring current dynamics and to search for the differences in the storm evolution during these events. Our corrected ε parameter is shown to be more adequate to explain storm energy balance because the energy input and the energy dissipated in the ring current are in better agreement with modern estimates as compared with previous works. For super-intense storms, the correction of the Akasofu ε is on average a scaling factor of 3.7, whilst for intense events, this scaling factor is on average 3.4. The injected energy during the main phase using corrected ε can be considered a criterion to separate intense from very intense storms. Other possibilities of cutoff values based on the energy input are also investigated. A threshold value for the input energy is much more clear when a new classification on Dst=−165 nT is considered. It was found that the energy input during storms with Dst<−165 nT is double of the energy for storms with Dst>−165 nT.     

Guided waves in the plasma sheet and triggering of a substorm

A guided propagation of magnetoacoustic wave in the plasma sheet located between two lobes of the magnetotail is investigated. The dispersion equation for the wave and equation connecting a disturbance of plasma pressure inside the plasma sheet and amplitude of the plasma sheet boundary oscillations are obtained. For some value of plasma pressure disturbance, the displacement of the plasma sheet boundaries becomes of order of the half-thickness of the plasma sheet. In the case of symmetrical oscillations of the boundaries (“sausage-like” mode), it creates the favorable conditions for reconnection of the magnetic field lines in the magnetotail and may lead to triggering of a substorm. The magnetoacoustic wave may be generated by sudden impulse of the solar wind plasma pressure.     

USGS 1-min Dst index

We produce a 1-min time resolution storm-time disturbance index, the USGS Dst, called Dst^8507-4SM. This index is based on minute resolution horizontal magnetic field intensity from low-latitude observatories in Honolulu, Kakioka, San Juan and Hermanus, for the years 1985–2007. The method used to produce the index uses a combination of time- and frequency-domain techniques, which more clearly identifies and excises solar-quiet variation from the horizontal intensity time series of an individual station than the strictly time-domain method used in the Kyoto Dst index. The USGS 1-min Dst is compared against the Kyoto Dst, Kyoto Sym-H, and the USGS 1-h Dst (Dst^5807-4SH). In a time series comparison, Sym-H is found to produce more extreme values during both sudden impulses and main phase maximum deviation, possibly due to the latitude of its contributing observatories. Both Kyoto indices are shown to have a peak in their distributions below zero, while the USGS indices have a peak near zero. The USGS 1-min Dst is shown to have the higher time resolution benefits of Sym-H, while using the more typical low-latitude observatories of Kyoto Dst.     

Dynamics of magnetospheric current systems during magnetic storms of different intensity

The dynamics of the magnetospheric magnetic field during the magnetic storms of different intensity has been studied. The magnetic field variations on the Earth’s surface were calculated using the paraboloid model of the magnetosphere, taking into account the induction currents flowing in the diamagnetically conductive Earth. Dst and its components have been calculated for ten magnetic storms. It has been indicated that relative contributions of magnetospheric sources to Dst change depending on the storm power. For weak and moderate storms, the contribution of the magnetotail current sheet can reach values comparable with the ring current contribution and, sometimes, can even exceed this contribution. For strong storms, the ring current field dominates over the tail current field, the absolute value of which does not exceed 150 nT (also achieved during less intense storms). For storms with minimum Dst exceeding-200 nT, the tail current field is saturated, whereas the ring current can continue developing.     

The average electric current system for the sudden commencements of magnetic storms

Summary A statistical investigation of the world-wide electric current-systems corresponding to s.c's has been carried out. The storm-time variationDst and the disturbance diurnal variationDs of s.c's are derived separately from the results of the average local-time variations in the magnetic field at different latitudes.A conspicuousDs current-system is found in the inner polar regions, and a concentrated current-flow is also confirmed along the geomagnetic equator resembling the current-system of an enhancedSq-field. The inner polar region currents flow towards the meridian at about 9h local-time and are supposed to complete their path along the outer auroral zone in opposite directions in the forenoon and afternoon hemispheres. It is of interest that the pattern of this atmospheric electric current-system is very similar to that caused by an electric doublet centred on the highiy conducting region near the pole.Some observed facts concerning the statistical nature of s.c's can be explained by these current-systems.     

Dependence of geomagnetic disturbances on extreme values of the solar wind <Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">y</Emphasis></Subscript> component

The dependence of the zonal geomagnetic indices (AE, Ap, Kp, Kn, and Dst) on the solar wind parameters (the electric field E _y component, dynamic pressure P _d and IMF irregularity σB) has been studied for two types of events: magnetic clouds and high-speed streams. Based on the empirical relationships, it has been established that the AE, Ap, Kp, and Kn indices are directly proportional to the E _y value at E _y < 12 mV m^?1 and are inversely proportional to this value at E _y > 12 mV m^?1 for the first-type events. On the contrary, the dependence of Dst on E _y is monotonous nonlinear. A linear dependence of all geomagnetic indices on E _y is typical of the second-type events. It has been indicated that the specific features of geoeffectiveness of magnetic clouds and high-speed solar wind streams are caused by the dependence of the electric field potential across the polar cap on the electric field, solar wind dynamic pressure, and IMF fluctuations.