Two-dimensional electric field measurements in the ionospheric footprint of a flux transfer event

Line-of-sight Doppler velocities from the SuperDARN CUTLASS HF radar pair have been combined to produce the first two-dimensional vector measurements of the convection pattern throughout the ionospheric footprint of a flux transfer event (a pulsed ionospheric flow, or PIF). Very stable and moderate interplanetary magnetic field conditions, along with a preceding prolonged period of northward interplanetary magnetic field, allow a detailed study of the spatial and the temporal evolution of the ionospheric response to magnetic reconnection. The flux tube footprint is tracked for half an hour across six hours of local time in the auroral zone, from magnetic local noon to dusk. The motion of the footprint of the newly reconnected flux tube is compared with the ionospheric convection velocity. Two primary intervals in the PIFs evolution have been determined. For the first half of its lifetime in the radar field of view the phase speed of the PIF is highly variable and the mean speed is nearly twice the ionospheric convection speed. For the final half of its lifetime the phase velocity becomes much less variable and slows down to the ionospheric convection velocity. The evolution of the flux tube in the magnetosphere has been studied using magnetic field, magnetopause and magnetosheath models. The data are consistent with an interval of azimuthally propagating magnetopause reconnection, in a manner consonant with a peeling of magnetic flux from the magnetopause, followed by an interval of anti-sunward convection of reconnected flux tubes.     

A statistical study of magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling in the Lyon–Fedder–Mobarry global MHD model

The statistics of magnetosphere–ionosphere (MI) coupling derived from a two-month long run of the Lyon–Fedder–Mobarry (LFM) global simulation model are investigated. MI coupling characteristics such as polar cap potential and field-aligned current (FAC), downward Poynting flux and vorticity of ionospheric convection are compared with observed statistical averages and with results from the Weimer 05 empirical model. The comparisons for eight different IMF clock-angle orientations show that the LFM model produces reasonably accurate average distributions of the Region I and Region II currents. Both current systems have average amplitudes similar to those observed by the Iridium satellite constellation; however, the average LFM amplitudes are smaller by a factor of two compared with the values from the Weimer 05 model. The comparisons of polar cap potential show that the LFM model produces reasonable patterns of ionospheric convection, but the average cross polar cap potential (CPCP) is greater than the observed results by a factor of approximately 2 and greater than Weimer 05 by a factor of 1.5. The differences in convection in LFM results relative to the Weimer 05 model accounts for much of the difference in the Poynting flux patterns and integrated power produced by the two models. The comparisons of average ionospheric field-aligned vorticity show good agreement on the dayside; however, the LFM model gives higher nightside vorticity which may imply that the ionospheric conductance on the nightside is too small in the simulation.     

A flux transfer event observed at the magnetopause by the Equator-S spacecraft and in the ionosphere by the CUTLASS HF radar

Observations of a flux transfer event (FTE) have been made simultaneously by the Equator-S spacecraft near the dayside magnetopause whilst corresponding transient plasma flows were seen in the near-conjugate polar ionosphere by the CUTLASS Finland HF radar. Prior to the occurrence of the FTE, the magnetometer on the WIND spacecraft ≈226 R_E upstream of the Earth in the solar wind detected a southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) which is estimated to have reached the subsolar magnetopause ≈77 min later. Shortly afterwards the Equator-S magnetometer observed a typical bipolar FTE signature in the magnetic field component normal to the magnetopause, just inside the magnetosphere. Almost simultaneously the CUTLASS Finland radar observed a strong transient flow in the F region plasma between 78° and 83° magnetic latitude, near the ionospheric region predicted to map along geomagnetic field lines to the spacecraft. The flow signature (and the data set as a whole) is found to be fully consistent with the view that the FTE was formed by a burst of magnetopause reconnection.     

Ionospheric convection during the magnetic storm of 20–21 March 1990

We report on the response of high-latitude ionospheric convection during the magnetic storm of March 20–21 1990. IMP-8 measurements of solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), ionospheric convection flow measurements from the Wick and Goose Bay coherent radars, EISCAT, Millstone Hill and Sondrestrom incoherent radars and three digisondes at Millstone Hill, Goose Bay and Qaanaaq are presented. Two intervals of particular interest have been identified. The first starts with a storm sudden commencement at 2243 UT on March 20 and includes the ionospheric activity in the following 7 h. The response time of the ionospheric convection to the southward turning of the IMF in the dusk to midnight local times is found to be approximately half that measured in a similar study at comparable local times during more normal solar wind conditions. Furthermore, this response time is the same as those previously measured on the dayside. An investigation of the expansion of the polar cap during a substorm growth phase based on Faraday’s law suggests that the expansion of the polar cap was nonuniform. A subsequent reconfiguration of the nightside convection pattern was also observed, although it was not possible to distinguish between effects due to possible changes in B_y and effects due to substorm activity. The second interval, 1200–2100 UT 21 March 1990, included a southward turning of the IMF which resulted in the B_z component becoming -10 nT. The response time on the dayside to this change in the IMF at the magnetopause was approximately 15 min to 30 min which is a factor of \sim2 greater than those previously measured at higher latitudes. A movement of the nightside flow reversal, possibly driven by current systems associated with the substorm expansion phases, was observed, implying that the nightside convection pattern can be dominated by substorm activity.     

EISCAT observations of unusual flows in the morning sector associated with weak substorm activity

A discussion is given of plasma flows in the dawn and nightside high-latitude ionospheric regions during substorms occurring on a contracted auroral oval, as observed using the EISCAT CP-4-A experiment. Supporting data from the PACE radar, Greenland magnetometer chain, SAMNET magnetometers and geostationary satellites are compared to the EISCAT observations. On 4 October 1989 a weak substorm with initial expansion phase onset signatures at 0030 UT, resulted in the convection reversal boundary observed by EISCAT (at \sim0415 MLT) contracting rapidly poleward, causing a band of elevated ionospheric ion temperatures and a localised plasma density depletion. This polar cap contraction event is shown to be associated with various substorm signatures; Pi2 pulsations at mid-latitudes, magnetic bays in the midnight sector and particle injections at geosynchronous orbit. A similar event was observed on the following day around 0230 UT (\sim0515 MLT) with the unusual and significant difference that two convection reversals were observed, both contracting poleward. We show that this feature is not an ionospheric signature of two active reconnection neutral lines as predicted by the near-Earth neutral model before the plasmoid is “pinched off”, and present two alternative explanations in terms of (1) viscous and lobe circulation cells and (2) polar cap contraction during northward IMF. The voltage associated with the anti-sunward flow between the reversals reaches a maximum of 13 kV during the substorm expansion phase. This suggests it to be associated with the polar cap contraction and caused by the reconnection of open flux in the geomagnetic tail which has mimicked “viscous-like” momentum transfer across the magnetopause.     

Validation of the stream function method used for reconstruction of experimental ionospheric convection patterns

In this study we test a stream function method suggested by Israelevich and Ershkovich for instantaneous reconstruction of global, high-latitude ionospheric convection patterns from a limited set of experimental observations, namely, from the electric field or ion drift velocity vector measurements taken along two polar satellite orbits only. These two satellite passes subdivide the polar cap into several adjacent areas. Measured electric fields or ion drifts can be considered as boundary conditions (together with the zero electric potential condition at the low-latitude boundary) for those areas, and the entire ionospheric convection pattern can be reconstructed as a solution of the boundary value problem for the stream function without any preliminary information on ionospheric conductivities. In order to validate the stream function method, we utilized the IZMIRAN electrodynamic model (IZMEM) recently calibrated by the DMSP ionospheric electrostatic potential observations. For the sake of simplicity, we took the modeled electric fields along the noon-midnight and dawn-dusk meridians as the boundary conditions. Then, the solution(s) of the boundary value problem (i.e., a reconstructed potential distribution over the entire polar region) is compared with the original IZMEM/DMSP electric potential distribution(s), as well as with the various cross cuts of the polar cap. It is found that reconstructed convection patterns are in good agreement with the original modeled patterns in both the northern and southern polar caps. The analysis is carried out for the winter and summer conditions, as well as for a number of configurations of the interplanetary magnetic field.     

Some aspects of modelling the high-latitude ionospheric convection from Cluster/Edi data

Measurements onboard Cluster satellites are briefly described, which form the base for determining the intensity and direction of the electric field in the magnetosphere. The aim of this paper is to describe (1) the methodology of calculating the potential distribution at the ionospheric level and the results of constructing spatiotemporal convection patterns for different orientations of the IMF vector in the GSM YZ plane; (2) derivation of basic convection patterns (BCPs), which allow to deduce the statistical ionospheric convection pattern at high latitudes for any IMF Bz and By values (statistical convection model) using different sets of independent data; (3) the consequences of enlarging the amount of data used for analysis; (4) the results of potential calculations with various orders of the spherical harmonics describing them; (5) determination of the cross-polar cap potential with different IMF sector widths (α from 45° down to 10°); (6) the results of our trials to determine the contribution of the IMF Bx component to the convection pattern.     

A survey of magnetopause FTEs and associated flow bursts in the polar ionosphere

Using the Equator-S spacecraft and SuperDARN HF radars an extensive survey of bursty reconnection at the magnetopause and associated flows in the polar ionosphere has been conducted. Flux transfer event (FTE) signatures were identified in the Equator-S magnetometer data during periods of magnetopause contact in January and February 1998. Assuming the effects of the FTEs propagate to the polar ionosphere as geomagnetic field-aligned-currents and associated Alfveén-waves, appropriate field mappings to the fields-of-view of SuperDARN radars were performed. The radars observed discrete ionospheric flow channel events (FCEs) of the type previously assumed to be related to pulse reconnection. Such FCEs were associated with 80% of the FTEs and the two signatures are shown to be statistically associated with greater than 99% confidence. Exemplary case studies highlight the nature of the ionospheric flows and their relation to the high latitude convection pattern, the association methodology, and the problems caused by instrument limitations.     

Central polar cap convection response to short duration southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field

Central polar cap convection changes associated with southward turnings of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) are studied using a chain of Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosondes (CADI) in the northern polar cap. A study of 32 short duration (1 h) southward IMF transition events found a three stage response: (1) initial response to a southward transition is near simultaneous for the entire polar cap; (2) the peak of the convection speed (attributed to the maximum merging electric field) propagates poleward from the ionospheric footprint of the merging region; and (3) if the change in IMF is rapid enough, then a step in convection appears to start at the cusp and then propagates antisunward over the polar cap with the velocity of the maximum convection. On the nightside, a substorm onset is observed at about the time when the step increase in convection (associated with the rapid transition of IMF) arrives at the polar cap boundary.     

The effects of IMF and convection on thermal ion outflow in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

We study the influence of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and convection electric field on the rate and destination of polar wind and other thermal (low-energy) ion outflows, and its resulting effects on magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling, using single-particle trajectory simulations in conjunction with ion velocity distribution measurements on Akebono and IMF and ionospheric convection data. We find that the ions preferentially feed the dusk sector of the plasma sheet when the IMF is duskward (B_y>0), and are more evenly distributed in the plasma sheet when the IMF is dawnward. The flow of oxygen ions originating from the noon or dusk sectors of the polar cap has a higher probability of reaching the magnetosphere and beyond compared with that from the dawn or midnight sectors, due to the increased centrifugal acceleration associated with the larger magnetic field curvature near noon and the increased convection electric field in the dusk sector. The flow is enhanced and confined to lower L-shells at times of strongly southward IMF, compared with that at times of northward IMF. The outflow rate to both the plasma sheet and the magnetotail correlates strongly with the ion temperature. As a result, the IMF and the convection electric fields affect both the overall magnitude and the detailed distribution of mass transfer from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere in magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling.     

Interhemispheric contrasts in the ionospheric convection response to changes in the interplanetary magnetic field and substorm activity: a case-study

Interhemispheric contrasts in the ionospheric convection response to variations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and substorm activity are examined, for an interval observed by the Polar Anglo-American Conjugate Experiment (PACE) radar system between 1600 and 2100 MLT on 4 March 1992. Representations of the ionospheric convection pattern associated with different orientations and magnitudes of the IMF and nightside driven enhancements of the auroral electrojet are employed to illustrate a possible explanation for the contrast in convection flow response observed in radar data at nominally conjugate points. Ion drift measurements from the Defence Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) confirm these ionospheric convection flows to be representative for the prevailing IMF orientation and magnitude. The location of the fields of view of the PACE radars with respect to these patterns suggest that the radar backscatter observed in each hemisphere is critically influenced by the position of the ionospheric convection reversal boundary (CRB) within the radar field of view and the influence it has on the generation of the irregularities required as scattering targets by high-frequency coherent radar systems. The position of the CRB in each hemisphere is strongly controlled by the relative magnitudes of the IMF B_z and B_y components, and hence so is the interhemispheric contrast in the radar observations.     

Vertical plasma drift velocities in the polarization jet observation by ground Doppler measurements and driftmeters on DMSP satellites

Vertical and horizontal plasma drifts are investigated during the polarization jet (PJ) detection in the F2 ionospheric layer based on the Doppler measurements at the Yakutsk meridian chain of subauroral ionospheric stations. It is shown that the velocities of vertical and horizontal drifts are significantly higher than the background motion during PJ observation periods. The ionospheric plasma motion direction changes from upward to downward on the polar edge of the main ionospheric trough. Doppler measurements on the DPS-4 ionosondes are compared with the simultaneous measurements of the plasma drift on the DMSP satellites during their passage near the Yakutsk meridian. The two kinds of measurements are in good agreement with each other. During the magnetic storm of June 23, 2005, by measurements of the DMSP satellites, the velocities of upward plasma flows were 1.0–1.4 km/s at a satellite altitude of 850 km. In the ionospheric F region, this speed corresponds to 150 m/s. According to satellite measurements, the westward drift velocity reached 2.5 km/s. The development of the polarization jet in the ionosphere was accompanied by a tenfold decrease in the electron density in 15–30 min.     

南极中山站电离层漂移特性及其对行星际磁场的响应

利用南极中山站数字式电离层测高仪在１９９５年的观测数据和ＩＭＰ８卫星观测的行星际磁场数据进行分析,揭示了南极极隙区纬度的电离层漂移的主要特征：电离层漂移主要是水平方向的运动,并且具有大体一致的日变化模式,在当地时间正午附近存在着指向极点的漂移运动,在晚上时间存在着离开极点的漂移运动,显示出在极区存在着逆阳对流;行星际磁场的平径向分量Ｂｙ在影响极隙区纬度电离层漂移运动方面起着主寻作用。当Ｂｙ＜０时,指向极点的漂移运动入口处大约在ＣＧＬＴ的７：００一８：００之间,并且在ＣＧＬＴ的０点左右的漂移运动方向偏西;当Ｂｙ＞０时,指向极点的漂移运动人口处大约在ＣＧＬＴ的９：００－１０：００之间,并且在ＣＧＬＴ的０点左右的漂移运动方向偏东;南半球的等离子体对流图形大体上与北半球成镜面对称关系．     

Weimer电场模式在地球磁层内的特征

地球磁层中的电场是研究磁层物理的重要参数,目前常用的对流电场有均匀晨昏电场和投影电场.电离层电场可以看做磁层电场沿磁力线在电离层的投影,本文选取的电离层电场模型为Weimer(2001模式)电场.利用T96磁场模式,沿磁力线将电离层电场投影到磁层空间,得到一个新的磁层电场模式,并讨论了磁暴、行星际磁场(IMF)、太阳风参数和亚暴等对磁层电场的影响.利用该模型计算的电场结果与卫星探测结果相符.     

Dynamics of high-latitude patches and associated small-scale irregularities during the October and November 2003 storms

Observations from a network of specially equipped GPS scintillation receivers in Northern Europe are used to investigate the dynamics of ionospheric plasma during the storm events of 30 October and 20 November 2003. The total electron content (TEC) and scintillation data, combined with ionospheric tomography produced by the multi-instrument data analysis system (MIDAS), reveal strong enhancements and steep gradients in TEC during nighttime under a prevailing negative B_z component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Amplitude and phase scintillation maxima are often co-located with the TEC gradients at the edge of plasma patches, revealing the presence of small-scale irregularities and suggesting association with a tongue of ionization (TOI) convecting in an anti-sunward direction from the American sector across the polar cap. Similarities and differences between the ionospheric response to the two storms are investigated. The 30 October event reveals a quite complex scenario showing two phases of plasma dynamics: the former reflects the expected convection pattern for IMF B_z southward and the latter possibly indicates a sort of TEC plasma stagnation signature of the more complex convection patterns during several positive/negative excursions of IMF B_z.     

EISCAT雷达观测到的极区电离层等离子体反常对流

综合分析EISCAT雷达与卫星当地测量数据,并利用磁层磁场模式对磁力线进行追踪,研究了发生在极光椭圆朝极盖边界附近电离层中,一例反常的背离太阳流动的强等离子体对流事件,及相关的太阳风-磁层-电离层耦合过程.结果表明,磁暴期间IMFBz指向南时观测到这一反常高速对流,及其相应的等离子体性态特征,很可能是向阳侧磁层顶磁重联过程在电离层中的印记.     

Analytical model of the near-Earth magnetopause according to the data of the Prognoz and Interball satellite data

Based on the magnetopause observations near the Earth by the Prognoz/Interball satellites in 1972–2000, the empirical model of this boundary has been proposed, and the magnetopause behavior at different parameters of the oncoming solar wind has been studied. For the first time, it has been detected that the Earth’s magnetopause is compressed by ∼5% in the direction perpendicular to the plane including the vectors of the solar wind velocity and IMF. At the same time, any dependence of the subsolar magnetopause position on the IMF B _z component has not been revealed in the Progrnoz/Interball data. The proposed magnetopause model can be used to model the position and shape of the near-Earth bow shock.     

南极中山站数字式电离层测高仪的初步观测结果

本文介绍数字式电离层测高仪ＤＰＳ－４的原理和特点，在中山站的安装和调试，从扫频电离图所得到的初步结果表明，中山站冬季电离层Ｆ层存在明显的磁中午现象，而电离层Ｅｓ层与极光粒子沉降有很大关系；漂移测量的结果表明，电离层漂移主要是水平方向的运动，并且具有大体一致的日变化模式，显示出在极区存在逆阳对流。     

极区电离层对IMF Bz 4次快速转向的响应——EISCAT/ESR雷达观测

利用EISCAT VHF和EISCAT Svalbard（ESR）雷达观测数据,对2003年2月12日IMF B_z分量4次快速方向转换期间,极区电离层,尤其是极尖/极隙区的响应特征进行了分析研究.随着IMF B_z方向的多次快速变化,地面雷达观测到极尖/极隙区所在位置随着开放-闭合磁力线边界在纬度方向上来回移动.在此期间,极区电离层等离子体水平对流多次反向,表现出与IMF B_z分量强的负相关性.进一步分析表明：极区磁层-电离层系统在日侧对IMF极性变化的平均响应时间约为3 min.     

地球弓激波的旋转非对称性

通过对太阳风-磁层-电离层系统的全球MHD模拟,研究地球弓激波相对日地连线的旋转非对称性．模拟限于太阳风速度沿日地连线、地球磁偶极矩和行星际磁场（IMF）与日地连线垂直的简单情况．模拟结果表明,即便对于IMF强度为零的情况,弓激波相对日地连线也不具备旋转对称性质：终端面（晨昏子午面）及其向阳侧的弓激波截线的东西宽度大于南北宽度（约9%~11％）,终端面尾侧的弓激波截线东西宽度小于南北宽度（约8％）．在存在IMF的情况下,弓激波的位形同时受到磁层顶的形状和快磁声波速度各向异性的影响．磁层顶向外扩张并沿IMF方向拉伸,且其扩张和拉伸程度随IMF由北转南而增强．在磁鞘中,垂直于磁场方向的快磁声波速度高于平行方向．因此,磁层顶拉伸方向与快磁声波速度最大方向垂直,它们对弓激波位置的效应恰好相反;弓激波的最终形状取决于何种效应占据主导地位．对于终端面尾侧,快磁声波速度的各向异性起主导作用,弓激波截线沿IMF垂直方向的宽度大于平行方向．对于终端面及其向阳侧,弓激波截线的形状与IMF取向有关：在准北向或晨昏向IMF情况下,弓激波截线沿IMF垂直方向的宽度仍大于平行方向;在准南向IMF情况下,弓激波截线沿IMF垂直方向的宽度小于平行方向的．鉴于弓激波形状同IMF取向之间的密切关系,我们提议以IMF为基准方向,提取弓激波截线的平行半宽度R_b∥和垂直半宽度R_b⊥作为尺度参数．这些尺度参数和通常引入的弓激波截线的东西半宽度y_b和南北半宽度z_b相比,更为合理地表征了弓激波的几何性质．模拟结果表明,在终端面上,y_b/z_b和R_b∥/R_b⊥在IMF各向同性取向下的统计平均值均低于1,与观测得到的结论一致.