Correlations between SAR arc intensity and solar and geomagnetic activity

We present a study of statistical relationships between SAR arc intensities acquired by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory Photometer Network during 1978–1988 and solar and geomagnetic activity indices Dst, F10.7, and Kp by use of the method of multiple regression analysis. We found significant correlations between intensity and all of the indices involved. In the present work we show for the first time that the partial correlation coefficients depend on the time offset, t, between the time of SAR arc intensity observations and the onset of the geomagnetic storm recovery phase, with the largest correlations being observed when 8 d t d 16 h. It is also shown that there are significant differences between partial correlation coefficients calculated for SAR arcs associated with strong (Dst_min > −100 nT) and weak (Dst_min > −100 nT) geomagnetic storms. We observe also that the multiple correlation coefficients for strong storms are much larger than for weak ones. We found that the variations in the electron temperature, T_e, in the SAR arc region are not mainly produced by variations in the electron density of the ionosphere but are strongly driven by the additional heating of the electron gas due to an interaction of the ring current ions and the plasmaspheric electrons. As a result, variations of T_e in the SAR arc region with characteristic time scales from several minutes to several hours are stipulated by time variations of ring current parameters.     

Vertical circulation and thermospheric composition: a modelling study

The coupled thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere model CTIP is used to study the global three-dimensional circulation and its effect on neutral composition in the midlatitude F-layer. At equinox, the vertical air motion is basically up by day, down by night, and the atomic oxygen/molecular nitrogen [O/N₂] concentration ratio is symmetrical about the equator. At solstice there is a summer-to-winter flow of air, with downwelling at subauroral latitudes in winter that produces regions of large [O/N₂] ratio. Because the thermospheric circulation is influenced by the high-latitude energy inputs, which are related to the geometry of the Earth’s magnetic field, the latitude of the downwelling regions varies with longitude. The downwelling regions give rise to large F2-layer electron densities when they are sunlit, but not when they are in darkness, with implications for the distribution of seasonal and semiannual variations of the F2-layer. It is also found that the vertical distributions of O and N₂ may depart appreciably from diffusive equilibrium at heights up to about 160 km, especially in the summer hemisphere where there is strong upwelling.     

Estimation of atomic oxygen concentrations from measured intensities of infrared nitric oxide radiation

The vibrational distribution of nitric oxide in the polar ionosphere computed according to the one-dimensional non-steady model of chemical and vibrational kinetics of the upper atmosphere has been compared with experimental data from rocket measurement. Some input parameters of the model have been varied to obtain the least-averaged deviation of the calculated population from experimental one. It is shown that the least deviation of our calculations from experimental measurements depends sufficiently on both the surprisal parameter of the production reaction of metastable atomic nitrogen with molecular oxygen and the profile of atomic oxygen concentration. The best agreement with the MSIS-83 profile was obtained for the value of surprisal parameter corresponding to recent laboratory estimations. The measured depression of level v = 2 is obtained in the calculation that uses sufficiently increased concentrations of atomic oxygen. It is pointed out that similar measurements of infrared radiation intensities could be used to estimate the atomic oxygen concentrations during auroral disturbances of the upper atmosphere.     

Observations of day-to-day variability in precursor signatures to equatorial F-region plasma depletions

In December 1995, a campaign was carried out to study the day-to-day variability in precursor signatures to large-scale ionospheric F-region plasma irregularities, using optical diagnostic techniques, near the magnetic equator in the Brazilian sector. Three instruments were operated simultaneously: (a) an all-sky (180° field of view) imaging system for observing the OI 630 nm nightglow emission at Alcântara (2.5°S, 44.4°W); (b) a digisonde (256-Lowell) at São Luis (2.6°S, 44.2°W); and (c) a multi-channel tilting filter-type zenith photometer for observing the OI 630 nm and mesospheric nightglow emissions at Fortaleza (3.9°S, 38.4°W). During the period December 14–18, 1995 (summer in the southern hemisphere), a good sequence of the OI 630 nm imaging observations on five consecutive nights were obtained, which are presented and discussed in this study. The observing period was geomagnetically quiet to moderate (Kp = 0+ to 5+ Dst = 18 nT to −37 nT). On four nights, out of the five observation nights, the OI 630 nm imaging pictures showed formations of transequatorial north-south aligned intensity depletions, which are the optical signatures of large-scale ionospheric F-region plasma bubbles. However, considerable day-to-day variability in the onset and development of the plasma depleted bands was observed. On one of the nights it appears that the rapid uplifting of the F-layer in the post-sunset period, in conjunction with gravity wave activity at mesospheric heights, resulted in generation of very strong plasma bubble irregularities. One of the nights showed an unusual formation of north-south depleted band in the western sector of the imaging system field of view, but the structure did not show any eastward movement, which is a normal characteristic of plasma bubbles. This type of irregularity structure, which probably can be observed only by wide-angle imaging system, needs more investigations for a better understanding of its behaviour.     

Semiannual and annual variations in the height of the ionospheric F2-peak

Ionosonde data from sixteen stations are used to study the semiannual and annual variations in the height of the ionospheric F2-peak, hmF2. The semiannual variation, which peaks shortly after equinox, has an amplitude of about 8 km at an average level of solar activity (10.7 cm flux = 140 units), both at noon and midnight. The annual variation has an amplitude of about 11 km at northern midlatitudes, peaking in early summer; and is larger at southern stations, where it peaks in late summer. Both annual and semiannual amplitudes increase with increasing solar activity by day, but not at night. The semiannual variation in hmF2 is unrelated to the semiannual variation of the peak electron density NmF2, and is not reproduced by the CTIP and TIME-GCM computational models of the quiet-day thermosphere and ionosphere. The semiannual variation in hmF2 is approximately isobaric, in that its amplitude corresponds quite well to the semiannual variation in the height of fixed pressure-levels in the thermosphere, as represented by the MSIS empirical model. The annual variation is not isobaric. The annual mean of hmF2 increases with solar 10.7 cm flux, both by night and by day, on average by about 0.45 km/flux unit, rather smaller than the corresponding increase of height of constant pressure-levels in the MSIS model. The discrepancy may be due to solar-cycle variations of thermospheric winds. Although geomagnetic activity, which affects thermospheric density and temperature and therefore hmF2 also, is greatest at the equinoxes, this seems to account for less than half the semiannual variation of hmF2. The rest may be due to a semiannual variation of tidal and wave energy transmitted to the thermosphere from lower levels in the atmosphere.     

Lower thermospheric nitric oxide concentrations derived from WINDII observations of the green nightglow continuum at 553.1 nm

Vertical profiles of nitric oxide in the altitude range 90 to 105 km are derived from 553 nm nightglow continuum measurements made with the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). The profiles are derived under the assumption that the continuum emission is due entirely to the NO+O air afterglow reaction. Vertical profiles of the atomic oxygen density, which are required to determine the nitric oxide concentrations, are derived from coordinated WINDII measurements of the atomic oxygen OI 557.7 nm nightglow emission. Data coverage for local solar times ranging from 20 h to 04 h, and latitudes ranging from 42°S to 42°N, is achieved by zonally averaging and binning data obtained on 18 nights during a two-month period extending from mid-November 1992 until mid-January 1993. The derived nitric oxide concentrations are significantly smaller than those obtained from rocket measurements of the airglow continuum but they do compare well with model expectations and nitric oxide densities measured using the resonance fluorescence technique on the Solar Mesosphere Explorer satellite. The near-global coverage of the WINDII observations and the similarities to the nitric oxide global morphology established from other satellite measurements strongly suggests that the NO+O reaction is the major source of the continuum near 553 nm and that there is no compelling reason to invoke additional sources of continuum emission in this immediate spectral region.     

On the fast movements of the thermosphere: an interpretation

We examine the oscillations of the meridional neutral wind in the F region as seen by the EISCAT radar. We propose an interpretation in term of eddies (tourbillons) of typical size of a few tens to a few hundreds of kilometers. The observed rotation velocity is a few hundreds of meters per second. We suggest that the tourbillons are a common feature of thermospheric movements. We propose an optical experiment to check the validity of this assumption.     

High resolution 2-D maps of OI 630.0 nm thermospheric dayglow from equatorial latitudes

The first-ever high resolution 2-D maps of OI 630.0 nm dayglow obtained from equatorial latitudes clearly reveal the movement as a large-scale feature of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). These also show the presence of wave-like features classified as gravity waves presumably originating at the crest of the EIA, similar to the equatorial electrojet acting as a source of these waves. These results are presented and discussed.     

The calculation of TV, VT, VV, VV′ - rate coefficients for the collisions of the main atmospheric components

The first-order perturbation approximation is applied to calculate the rate coefficients of vibrational energy transfer in collisions involving vibrationally excited molecules in the absence of non-adiabatic transitions. The factors of molecular attraction, oscillator frequency change, anharmonicity, 3-dimensionality and quasiclassical motion have been taken into account in the approximation. The analytical expressions presented have been normalized on experimental data of VT-relaxation times in N₂ and O₂ to obtain the steric factors and the extent of repulsive exchange potentials in collisions N₂–N₂ and O₂–O₂. The approach was applied to calculate the rate coefficients of vibrational-vibrational energy transfer in the collisions N₂–N₂, O₂–O₂ and N₂–O₂. It is shown that there is good agreement between our calculations and experimental data for all cases of energy transfer considered.     

Cooling rate of thermal electrons by electron impact excitation of fine structure levels of atomic oxygen

The atomic oxygen fine structure cooling rate of thermal electrons based on new effective collision strengths for electron impact excitation of the ground-state ³P fine-structure levels in atomic oxygen have been fitted to an analytical expression which is available to the researcher for quick reference and accurate computer modeling with a minimum of calculations. We found that at the F region altitudes of the ionosphere the new cooling rate is much less than the currently used fine structure cooling rates (up to a factor of 2–4), and this cooling rate is not the dominant electron cooling process in the F region of the ionosphere at middle latitudes.     

Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer: II. Physical discussion

The companion paper by Zou et al. shows that the annual and semiannual variations in the peak F2-layer electron density (NmF2) at midlatitudes can be reproduced by a coupled thermosphere-ionosphere computational model (CTIP), without recourse to external influences such as the solar wind, or waves and tides originating in the lower atmosphere. The present work discusses the physics in greater detail. It shows that noon NmF2 is closely related to the ambient atomic/molecular concentration ratio, and suggests that the variations of NmF2 with geographic and magnetic longitude are largely due to the geometry of the auroral ovals. It also concludes that electric fields play no important part in the dynamics of the midlatitude thermosphere. Our modelling leads to the following picture of the global three-dimensional thermospheric circulation which, as envisaged by Duncan, is the key to explaining the F2-layer variations. At solstice, the almost continuous solar input at high summer latitudes drives a prevailing summer-to-winter wind, with upwelling at low latitudes and throughout most of the summer hemisphere, and a zone of downwelling in the winter hemisphere, just equatorward of the auroral oval. These motions affect thermospheric composition more than do the alternating day/night (up-and-down) motions at equinox. As a result, the thermosphere as a whole is more molecular at solstice than at equinox. Taken in conjunction with the well-known relation of F2-layer electron density to the atomic/molecular ratio in the neutral air, this explains the F2-layer semiannual effect in NmF2 that prevails at low and middle latitudes. At higher midlatitudes, the seasonal behaviour depends on the geographic latitude of the winter downwelling zone, though the effect of the composition changes is modified by the large solar zenith angle at midwinter. The zenith angle effect is especially important in longitudes far from the magnetic poles. Here, the downwelling occurs at high geographic latitudes, where the zenith angle effect becomes overwhelming and causes a midwinter depression of electron density, despite the enhanced atomic/molecular ratio. This leads to a semiannual variation of NmF2. A different situation exists in winter at longitudes near the magnetic poles, where the downwelling occurs at relatively low geographic latitudes so that solar radiation is strong enough to produce large values of NmF2. This circulation-driven mechanism provides a reasonably complete explanation of the observed pattern of F2 layer annual and semiannual quiet-day variations.     

Polar ionospheric responses to solar wind IMF changes

Auroral and airglow emissions over Eureka (89° CGM) during the 1997/98 winter show striking variations in relation to solar wind IMF changes. The period January 19 to 22, 1998, was chosen for detailed study, as the IMF was particularly strong and variable. During most of the period, B_z was northward and polar arcs were observed. Several overpasses by DMSP satellites during the four day period provided a clear picture of the particle precipitation producing the polar arcs. The spectral character of these events indicated excitation by electrons of average energy 300 to 500 eV. Only occasionally were electrons of average energy up to 1 keV observed and these appeared transitory from the ground optical data. It is noted that polar arcs appear after sudden changes in IMF B_y, suggesting IMF control over arc initiation. When B_y is positive there is arc motion from dawn to dusk, while B_y is negative the motion is consistently dusk to dawn. F-region (anti-sunward) convections were monitored through the period from 630.0 nm emissions. The convection speed was low (100/150 m/s) when B_z was northward but increased to 500 m/s after B_z turned southward on January 20.     

Analysis of the positive ionospheric response to a moderate geomagnetic storm using a global numerical model

Current theories of F-layer storms are discussed using numerical simulations with the Upper Atmosphere Model, a global self-consistent, time dependent numerical model of the thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere-magnetosphere system including electrodynamical coupling effects. A case study of a moderate geomagnetic storm at low solar activity during the northern winter solstice exemplifies the complex storm phenomena. The study focuses on positive ionospheric storm effects in relation to thermospheric disturbances in general and thermospheric composition changes in particular. It investigates the dynamical effects of both neutral meridional winds and electric fields caused by the disturbance dynamo effect. The penetration of short-time electric fields of magnetospheric origin during storm intensification phases is shown for the first time in this model study. Comparisons of the calculated thermospheric composition changes with satellite observations of AE-C and ESRO-4 during storm time show a good agreement. The empirical MSISE90 model, however, is less consistent with the simulations. It does not show the equatorward propagation of the disturbances and predicts that they have a gentler latitudinal gradient. Both theoretical and experimental data reveal that although the ratio of [O]/[N₂] at high latitudes decreases significantly during the magnetic storm compared with the quiet time level, at mid to low latitudes it does not increase (at fixed altitudes) above the quiet reference level. Meanwhile, the ionospheric storm is positive there. We conclude that the positive phase of the ionospheric storm is mainly due to uplifting of ionospheric F2-region plasma at mid latitudes and its equatorward movement at low latitudes along geomagnetic field lines caused by large-scale neutral wind circulation and the passage of travelling atmospheric disturbances (TADs). The calculated zonal electric field disturbances also help to create the positive ionospheric disturbances both at middle and low latitudes. Minor contributions arise from the general density enhancement of all constituents during geomagnetic storms, which favours ion production processes above ion losses at fixed height under day-light conditions.     

Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer. I. Modelling

Annual, seasonal and semiannual variations of F2-layer electron density (NmF2) and height (hmF2) have been compared with the coupled thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere computational model (CTIP), for geomagnetically quiet conditions. Compared with results from ionosonde data from midlatitudes, CTIP reproduces quite well many observed features of NmF2, such as the dominant winter maxima at high midlatitudes in longitude sectors near the magnetic poles, the equinox maxima in sectors remote from the magnetic poles and at lower latitudes generally, and the form of the month-to-month variations at latitudes between about 60°N and 50°S. CTIP also reproduces the seasonal behaviour of NmF2 at midnight and the summer-winter changes of hmF2. Some features of the F2-layer, not reproduced by the present version of CTIP, are attributed to processes not included in the modelling. Examples are the increased prevalence of the winter maxima of noon NmF2 at higher solar activity, which may be a consequence of the increase of F2-layer loss rate in summer by vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen, and the semiannual variation in hmF2, which may be due to tidal effects. An unexpected feature of the computed distributions of NmF2 is an east-west hemisphere difference, which seems to be linked to the geomagnetic field configuration. Physical discussion is reserved to the companion paper by Rishbeth et al.     

Hydroxyl (6/2) airglow emission intensity ratios for rotational temperature determination

OH(6/2) Q1/P1 and R₁/P₁ airglow emission intensity ratios, for rotational states up to j = 4.5, are measured to be lower than implied by transition probabilities published by various authors including Mies, Langhoff et al. and Turnbull and Lowe. Experimentally determined relative values of j transitions yield OH(6/2) rotational temperatures 2 K lower than Langhoff et al., 7 K lower than Mies and 13 K lower than Turnbull and Lowe.     

Spatial distribution of conductances and currents associated with a north-south auroral form during a multiple-substorm period

Using the method of characteristics to invert ground-based data of the ground magnetic field disturbance and of the ionospheric electric field, we obtain spatial distributions of ionospheric conductances, currents, and field-aligned currents (FACs) associated with a north-south auroral form that drifts westwards over northern Scandinavia around 2200 UT on December 2, 1977. This auroral form is one in a sequence of such north-south structures observed by all-sky cameras, and appears 14 min after the last of several breakups during that extremely disturbed night. Our analysis shows that the ionospheric Hall conductance reaches values above 200 S in the center of the form, and upward flowing FACs of up to 25 μA/m² are concentrated near its westward and equatorward edge. The strong upward flowing FACs are fed by an area of more distributed, but still very strong downward-flowing FACs northeastward of the auroral form. In contrast to the conductances, the electric field is only slightly affected by the passage of the form. We point out similarities and differences of our observations and results to previously reported observations and models of ‘auroral fingers’, ‘north-south aurora’, and ‘auroral streamers’ which are suggested to be ionospheric manifestations of bursty bulk flows in the plasma sheet.     

Extrapolating EISCAT Pedersen conductances to other parts of the sky using ground-based TV auroral images

Ionospheric conductivity is not very easily measured directly. Incoherent scatter radars perhaps offer the best method but can only measure at one point in the sky at any one time and are limited in their time resolution. Statistical models of average conductivity are available but these may not be applied to individual case studies such as substorms. There are many instances where a real-time estimate of ionospheric conductivity over a large field-of-view is highly desirable at a high temporal and spatial resolution. We show that it is possible to make a reasonable estimate of the noctural height-integrated Pedersen conductivity, or conductance, with a single all-sky TV camera operating at 557.7 nm. This is not so in the case of the Hall conductance where at least two auroral wavelengths should be imaged in order to estimate additionally the energy of the precipitating particles.     

Physical mechanism of strong negative storm effects in the daytime ionospheric F2 region observed with EISCAT

A self-consistent method for daytime F-region modelling was applied to EISCAT observations during two periods comprising the very disturbed days 3 April 1992 and 10 April 1990. The observed strong N_e decrease at F2-layer heights originated from different physical mechanisms in the two cases. The negative F2-layer storm effect with an N_mF2 decrease by a factor of 6.4 on 3 April 1992 was produced by enhanced electric fields (E 85 mV/m) and strong downward plasma drifts, but without any noticeable changes in thermos-pheric parameters. The increase of the O⁺ + N₂ reaction rate resulted in a strong enrichment of the ionosphere with molecular ions even at F2-layer heights. The enhanced electric field produced a wide mid-latitude daytime trough on 03 April 1992 not usually observed during similar polarization jet events. The other strong negative storm effect on 10 April 1990 with a complete disappearance of the F2-layer maximum at the usual heights was attributed mainly to changes in neutral composition and temperature. A small value for the shape parameter S in the neutral temperature profile and a low neutral temperature at 120 km indicate strong cooling of the lower thermosphere. We propose that this cooling is due to increased nitric oxide concentration usually observed at these heights during geomagnetic storms.     

Combined CUTLASS, EISCAT and ESR observations of ionospheric plasma flows at the onset of an isolated substorm

On August 21st 1998, a sharp southward turning of the IMF, following on from a 20 h period of northward directed magnetic field, resulted in an isolated substorm over northern Scandinavia and Svalbard. A combination of high time resolution and large spatial scale measurements from an array of coherent scatter and incoherent scatter ionospheric radars, ground magnetometers and the Polar UVI imager has allowed the electrodynamics of the impulsive substorm electrojet region during its first few minutes of evolution at the expansion phase onset to be studied in great detail. At the expansion phase onset the substorm onset region is characterised by a strong enhancement of the electron temperature and UV aurora. This poleward expanding auroral structure moves initially at 0.9 km s^-1 poleward, finally reaching a latitude of 72.5°. The optical signature expands rapidly westwards at ~6 km s^-1, whilst the eastward edge also expands eastward at ~0.6 km s^-1. Typical flows of 600 m s^-1 and conductances of 2 S were measured before the auroral activation, which rapidly changed to ~100 m s^-1 and 10–20 S respectively at activation. The initial flow response to the substorm expansion phase onset is a flow suppression, observed up to some 300 km poleward of the initial region of auroral luminosity, imposed over a time scale of less than 10 s. The high conductivity region of the electrojet acts as an obstacle to the flow, resulting in a region of low-electric field, but also low conductivity poleward of the high-conductivity region. Rapid flows are observed at the edge of the high-conductivity region, and subsequently the high flow region develops, flowing around the expanding auroral feature in a direction determined by the flow pattern prevailing before the substorm intensification. The enhanced electron temperatures associated with the substorm-disturbed region extended some 2° further poleward than the UV auroral signature associated with it.     

Statistical interpolation of ozone measurements from satellite data (TOMS, SBUV and SAGE II) using the kriging method

This study demonstrates that ordinary kriging in spherical coordinates using experimental semi-variograms provides highly usable results, especially near the pole in winter and/or where there could be data missing over large areas. In addition, kriging allows display of the spatial variability of daily ozone measurements at different pressure levels. Three satellite data sets were used: Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data, Solar Backscattered UltraViolet (SBUV), and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II) ozone profiles. Since SBUV is a nadir-viewing instrument, measurements are only taken along the sun-synchronous polar orbits of the satellite. SAGE II is a limb-viewing solar occultation instrument, and measurements have high vertical resolution but poor daily coverage. TOMS has wider coverage with equidistant distribution of data (resolution 1° × 1.25°) but provides no vertical information. Comparisons of the resulting SBUV-interpolated (column-integrated) ozone field with TOMS data are strongly in agreement, with a global correlation of close to 98%. Comparisons of SBUV-interpolated ozone profiles with daily SAGE II profiles are relatively good, and comparable to those found in the literature. The interpolated ozone layers at different pressure levels are shown.