Influence of imf sector polarity on annual and diurnal variations of absorption in the auroral zone

The effect of the polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) on the absorption in and near the auroral zone has been studied using measurements from a meridional chain of riometers in Finland in the years 1973–1978. The measured absorption values were divided into two groups, corresponding to away and towards polarities of the IMF, and the values of absorption were examined for the two groups separately. The annual means of absorption were found to be independent of sector polarity in the whole latitude range. In the annual and diurnal variations a polarity effect could be found down to L =4.4, in the annual variation some remnants of it down to L = 3.4. In the annual variation, the towards (T) polarity is associated with a strong spring maximum and the away (A) polarity with a fall maximum in absorption. The diurnal variations are most pronounced during T polarity in the spring and during A polarity in the fall, with high daytime maxima in both cases, suggesting that the loss processes of trapped electrons in the day sector might be modulated by IMF polarity. Our analysis reveals the effect of the different components of the IMF; The annual variations show the effect of the vertical component (varying energy transfer from the solar wind into the magnetosphere) and the diurnal variations in the equinoxes the effect of the azimuthal component (shift of the absorption zone along the dawn-dusk meridian).     

On the possibility of inferring the inter-planetary sector structure from daily variations of geomagnetic ap indices

The linear Bartels ap indices, which by definition should have no average U.T. variations, show in fact two different average U.T. variations if the data is divided into two groups according to the two Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) polarities. These differences are found to be similar for all seasons and activity ranges. Correlating the ap variations of individual days to the average ap variations for days with interplanetary away and toward polarities, a simple but objective precept of calculations is given to infer the IMF sector structure with a success rate of 73% of the days for the years 1963–1973. The same method is employed to infer the IMF sector structure since 1932, and the results are compared to the sector structure inferred from polar cap magnetograms. Some known features of solar sector fields, e.g. the heliographic latitude dependence of the dominant polarity, are also found in the polarity classification based on ap variations, whereas the significant higher geomagnetic activity during intervals of toward polarity before 1963, which was found in the sector structure inferred from polar cap magnetograms, is not observed.     

Influence of IMF-sector polarity on the North-South asymmetry of geomagnetic activity and its relationship with solar wind parameters

Relationships between the North-South asymmetry of the geomagnetic activity associated with the sector polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and various solar wind parameters are examined using the subauroral zone magnetic activity indices an and as. It is found that: (1) the effect of the sector polarity of IMF on the North-South asymmetry is due to the By-component of IMF, not to the Bx-component; (2) the asymmetry appears only when IMF is directed southward, being augmented by the increment of the magnitudes of the southward component and the solar wind velocity.     

On the association of predominant polarity of North-South component of IMF in the GSE system near 1 AU with solar polar magnetic fields during 1967–2020

The skewness of the monthly distribution of GSE latitudinal angles of Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) observed near the Earth (Sk) is found to show anti-correlation with sunspot activity during the solar cycles 20–24. Sk can be considered as a measure of the predominant polarity of north-south component of IMF (B_z component) in the GSE system near 1 AU. Sk variations follow the magnitude of solar polar magnetic fields in general and polarity of south polar fields in particular during the years 1967–2020. Predominant polarity of Sk is found to be independent of the heliographic latitude of Earth. Sk basically reflects the variations of the solar dipolar magnetic field during a sunspot cycle. It is also found that IMF sector polarity variation is not a good indicator of the magnitude changes in solar polar magnetic fields during a sunspot cycle. This is possibly due to the influence of non-dipolar components of the solar magnetic field and the associated north-south asymmetries in the heliospheric current sheet.     

Does IMF By induce the cusp field-aligned currents?

A well established correlation exists between the IMF B_y and the cusp field-aligned and horizontal currents (Wilhjelm et al., 1978). The northern and southern cusp currents may be parts of one large scale current system (D'Angelo, 1980) flowing mainly at the magnetopause and driven by the z-component of the solar wind electric field. Primdahl and Spangslev (1981) suggested that the large scale current system seems to shield out the IMF B_y from the interior of the magnetosphere. This paper proposes that the currents are induced by the change of sign of B_y at the IMF sector boundary crossings, and argues that the time constant for decay of the currents may well be one week or larger. The percentage errors in inferring the IMF sector polarity from the Godhavn H magnetogram increases with increasing time since the last sector boundary crossing. This is in accordance with a steady decay of the induced currents. Finally experimental tests are proposed to demonstrate the feasability of and possibly distinguish between the mechanisms.     

Non-radial solar wind flows and IMF Bz during 1973-2003

The characteristics of latitudinal angles of solar wind flow (θ_v) observed near earth have been studied during the period 1973-2003. The average magnitude of θ_v shows distinct enhancements during the declining and maximum phases of the sunspot cycles. A close association of B_z component of IMF in the GSE system and the orientation of meridional flows in the solar wind is found which depends on the IMF sector polarity. This effect has been studied in typical geomagnetic storm periods. The occurrence of non-radial flows is also found to exhibit heliolatitudinal dependence during the years 1975 and 1985 as a characteristic feature of non-radial solar wind expansion from polar coronal holes.     

Sector-structured interplanetary magnetic field associated with the fast plasma streams in 1985–1996

An analysis of 373 well-defined high-speed solar-wind streams observed at 1 AU during the years 1985–1996 is outlined. The distribution of the occurrence of these streams as a function of Bartels rotation days using the dominant polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) associated with the referred fast streams shows that a four-sector pattern for the positive IMF polarity and a two-sector pattern for the negative IMF polarity are the dominant features in the investigated period. The high-speed streams seem to occur at preferred Bartels days: positive polarity streams are most frequent near Bartels days 5 and 18, while negative polarity streams are most frequent in days 14 and 23. Moreover, the corotating streams with positive IMF polarity prefer to occur in days 5 and 18 of the Bartels rotation period, whereas flare-generated streams with negative IMF polarity occur in days 14 and 23. The observed distribution of Bartels days is probably related to the distribution of the solar sources of high-speed solar wind streams as the solar wind carries with it the photospheric magnetic polarity of the solar source region. In addition, the distribution of the streams reveals a similar behaviour during the ascending and the declining phase of the last solar cycle (22nd) in contrast to the previous one where it has an opposite appearance. Determined differences in the characteristics of the sector structured IMF associated with the fast streams of the last cycle with the previous one (21st) and some similarities with the alternate solar cycle (20th) seem to be attributed to the 22-year magnetic cycle and to the polarity reversals of the polar magnetic field of the Sun. As the magnetic sectors are due to multiple crossings of the solar equatorial plane by a large-scale, warped heliospheric current sheet, it is suggested that the two-sector pattern arises from a tilted solar magnetic dipole component and the more commonly observed four-sector pattern from a quadrupole component of the solar interplanetary magnetic field.     

High Speed Stream Properties and Related Geomagnetic Activity During the Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI): 20 March to 16 April 2008

We study the interplanetary features and concomitant geomagnetic activity of the two high-speed streams (HSSs) selected by the Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) campaign participants: 20 March to 16 April 2008 in Carrington rotation (CR) 2068. This interval was chosen to perform a comprehensive study of HSSs and their geoeffectiveness during this ??deep?? solar minimum. The two HSSs within the interval were characterized by fast solar-wind speeds (peak values >?600 km?s^?1) containing large-amplitude Alfvénic fluctuations, as is typical of HSSs during normal solar minima. However, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) magnitude [B _o] was exceptionally low (??3??C?5 nT) during these HSSs, leading to lower than usual IMF B _z values. The first HSS (HSS1) had favorable IMF polarity for geomagnetic activity (negative during northern Spring). The average AE and Dst for the HSS1 proper (HSS1P) were +?258 nT and ??21 nT, respectively. The second HSS (HSS2) had a positive sector IMF polarity, one that is less favorable for geomagnetic activity. The AE and Dst index averages were +?188 nT and ??7 nT, both lower than corresponding numbers for the first event, as expected. The HSS1P geomagnetic activity is comparable to, and the HSS2P geomagnetic activity lower than, corresponding observations for the previous minimum (1996). Both events?? geomagnetic activities are lower than HSS events previously studied in the declining phase (in 2003). In general, V _sw was faster for the HSSs in 2008 compared to 1996. The southward IMF B _z was lower in the former. The product of these two parameters [V _sw and IMF B _z ] comprises the solar-wind electric field, which is most directly associated with the energy input into the magnetosphere during the HSS intervals. Thus the combined effects led to the solar wind energy input in 2008 being slightly less than that in 1996. A detailed analysis of magnetic-field variances and Alfvénicity is performed to explore the characteristics of Alfvén waves (a central element in the geoeffectiveness of HSSs) during the WHI. The B _z variances in the proto-CIR (PCIR) were ???30 nT² and <?10 nT² in the high speed streams proper.     

Latitudinal and solar-cycle dependence of the interplanetary magnetic field predominant polarity

A study of the predominant interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) polarity is made, for the time period 1957–1977. The examination of the mean positive and negative sector width for time periods (semesters) for which the Earth was in northern and southern heliolatitudes shows that the predominant polarity for every semester follows, up to a certain extent, the Rosenberg-Coleman effect. However, the statistical support is not satisfactory. The same conclusion was pointed out by a similar study of data grouped over various phases of the solar cycle.Additionally the relative frequency of positive (negative) IMF polarity days, appeared over a mean solar rotation, shows that the general pattern of the mean IMF has a tendency to reoccur in the homologous (corresponding) phases of different solar cycles.     

The mean magnetic field of the Sun: Method of observation and relation to the interplanetary magnetic field

The mean solar magnetic field as measured in integrated light has been observed since 1968. Since 1970 it has been observed both at Hale Observatories and at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. The observing procedures at both observatories and their implications for mean field measurements are discussed. A comparison of the two sets of daily observations shows that similar results are obtained at both observatories. A comparison of the mean field with the interplanetary magnetic polarity shows that the IMF sector structure has the same pattern as the mean field polarity.     

Polar cap arcs and the open regions

After reviewing the basic characteristics of the polar cap arcs, it is suggested that their appearance can be explained if the open region splits into two, one located in the dawn sector and the other in the dusk sector. It is suggested that a distinct splitting occurs temporarily when an IMF tangential discontinuity passes by the magnetosphere and the sign of the IMF B_y component changes at the discontinuity, provided that the IMF B_z component is positive on both sides. As a result, the dawn or the dusk side of the polar region will be connected to either the front side or the hind side of the discontinuity, depending on the sign of the B_y component across the discontinuity. As the dynamo process is expected to operate in each of the two open regions (as is the case in the single open region), it is reasonable to infer that a sheet of plasma and of field-aligned currents forms in the region between the two open regions, resulting in the polar cap arcs across the polar region. The four-cell convection pattern may also appear. A model of the magnetosphere is constructed to demonstrate such a possibility.     

Solar interaction regions,geomagnetic indices and the troposphere

Using key dates associated with solar interaction regions (SIR), a superposed epoch analysis is performed on the zonal and meridional kinetic energy density and square of the vorticity (enstrophy) of the main motion at 500 mb height. No relationships are found between SIR and these atmospheric dynamical parameters irrespective of the polarity (North or South) of the enhanced interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF) within the SIR, or with latitude and season. This investigation and other available results suggest that the short term solar variations do not influence large volumes of the troposphere but only localized regions.The average atmospheric kinetic energy density during active solar conditions is higher than during quiet solar condition, with no significant differences in enstrophy. This confirms an earlier result.It is also shown that SIR with enhanced southward directed IMF correspond to higher level of geomagnetic index (A_p > 10, K_p > 3) than randomly selected days.     

Effects of dipole tilt angle on geomagnetic activity

The relationship between the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), represented by the clock angle which is the angle defined by IMF-B_y and -B_z components, and the AL and AU indices is examined at various dipole tilt angles for the period of 1978-1988. We use the IMF data obtained from the IMP 8 satellite, AL and AU indices with corrected seasonal variations, and the dipole tilt angle, which is the dipole magnetic latitude of the subsolar point calculated as a function of the day of year and universal time. For both positive (dipole tilted to the Sun) and negative dipole tilt angles, the values of |AL| and AU decrease as the IMF clock angle moves away from 180^°, becoming more northward. The indices also tend to become smaller for larger dipole tilt angle, either toward or away from the Sun. This dependence on dipole tilt angle enhances the semiannual variation of geomagnetic activity.     

On the nature of polar cap magnetic activity during undisturbed periods

The correlation between the polar cap geomagnetic variations (H-traces) and the changes of the azimuthal (Y_SE) and vertical (Z_SE) components of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during undisturbed periods is examined. It is shown that peak-to-peak correlation between Y_SE and geomagnetic horizontal component variations may be generally observed in the daytime cusp region, independently of the magnitude and polarity of the Z_SE. The existence of the DP₃ disturbances associated with the northward component Z_SE > 0 is confirmed. It is shown that the disturbances due to the vertical component of the IMF dominate in the region near the pole. In so far as the southward component of the IMF generates both polar cap disturbances and geomagnetic substorms, the disturbances in the region near the pole, associated with Z_SE < 0, may be regarded as a precursor of a substorm. On this basis a new index of the polar cap magnetic activity PC_L, characterizing the changeability of the magnetic field is proposed. It is shown that the increase of the PC_L index is followed in 1–2 hr by a substorm in 70% of events considered.     

Inference of sector polarity of the inter-planetary magnetic field from the cosmic ray north-south asymmetry

The sector polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field has been inferred daily for the period 1971–1973, using ground level cosmic ray observations. The method depends on the sectors directed towards and away from the Sun being associated with different characteristic variations of the cosmic ray north-south asymmetry. The analysis has a simple basis. The difference between the north and south daily mean intensities of directional telescopes at a single observing station is determined and its value relative to the 27-day average is calculated. The sign (negative or positive) of the value thus derived corresponds to the sector polarity on a daily basis. Good (~76%) agreement is obtained between the polarities inferred indirectly by the present method and those observed directly with the spacecraft magnetometers. We therefore suggest that cosmic ray observations can be used for inferring the sector polarity of the magnetic field in interplanetary space.     

Observation of an IMF sector effect in the Y magnetic field component at geostationary orbit

One year of magnetic field data from the geostationary spacecraft ATS 6 have been analysed for effects associated with the equatorial plane components of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). It is shown that perturbation fields in the Y (dawn to dusk) direction appear in association with the Y component of the IMF, in agreement with previous theoretical suggestions. On average a fraction 0.28 ± 0.02 of the IMF Y field appears at geostationary orbit, such that the average ATS 6 B_y field is 1.9 ± 0.4 nT larger when IMF B_y is positive than when it is negative. The perturbation field magnitudes are also found to depend strongly on local time, however, with largest effects appearing in the midnight and dawn quadrants, where the average perturbation fields are nearly half the simultaneous IMF B_v. field. At noon this fraction drops to one fifth, and no average effect occurs in the dusk quadrant. Both the daily mean perturbation fields and the diurnal modulation are also found to depend upon the level of magnetic disturbance as measured by K_P, or equivalently upon IMF B_z, and upon season of the year. Overall stronger daily mean perturbation fields occur when K_P is low or when IMF B_z is positive, than when K_P is high or when IMF B_z is negative. This effect is not linear, however, and there is also a trend in the data towards increasing perturbation fields with IMF B_z negative and decreasing. On dividing the data according to season, increasingly strong daily mean effects are found in the order winter, summer and equinox for both quiet and disturbed magnetospheres. Diurnal modulations of the perturbation field magnitudes for low K_P (IMF B_z > 0) take the form of large amplitude quasi-sinusoidal variations about mean values which are very marked in the equinox data, are present to a lesser degree during summer and are absent during winter conditions. When K_p is high (IMF B_z < 0) significant deviations from mean perturbation field values occur generally only during nightside hours and little seasonal dependence is evident. Finally, it is shown that the highest correlation between the IMF data and the ATS 6 perturbation fields occurs with zero time delay between the two data sets, showing that a prompt response to IMF conditions occurs at geostationary orbit within the 1 h time resolution available in this study. Although many details of the above ATS 6 response remain to be understood, these results overall demonstrate in a very direct manner the magnetically “open” nature of the Earth's magnetosphere.     

Equivalent ionospheric current systems representing IMF sector effects on the polar geomagnetic field

Equivalent ionospheric current systems representing IMF sector effects on the geomagnetic field in high latitudes are examined for each of the twelve calendar months by spherical harmonic analyses of geomagnetic hourly data at 13 northern polar stations for seven years. The main feature of obtained equivalent current systems includes circular currents at about 80° invariant latitude mostly in the daytime in summer and reversed circular currents at about 70° invariant latitude mainly at night in winter. Field-aligned current distributions responsible for equivalent currents, as well as vector distributions of electric fields and ionospheric currents, are approximated numerically from current functions of equivalent current systems by taking assumed distributions of the ionospheric conductivity. Two sets of upward and downward field-aligned current pairs in the auroral region, and also a field-aligned current region near the pole show seasonal variations. Also, ionospheric electric-field propagation along geomagnetic field lines from the summer hemisphere to the winter hemisphere with auroral Hall-conductivity effects may provide an explanation for the winter reversal of sector effects.     

Intensity distribution of dayside polar soft electron precipitation and the IMF

The influence of the B_z and B_y polarity of the IMF on the location of the dayside regions of precipitating, low energy electrons recorded by the DMSP F-2 satellite, is investigated. The average differential electron flux was determined for 2 months during local summer. It is found that the spatial distributions are similar for electrons in the range from 50 to 183 eV. The region of maximum intensity for K_p? 2+ over the Southern Hemisphere is located on the opposite side of noon from the Northern Hemisphere. The current intensity carried by precipitating electrons in the cusp region agrees with that measured by the TRIAD magnetometer. When the IMF is northward a marked asymmetry of the low energy electron precipitation between positive and negative B_y cases is observed. For positive B_y the maximum electron flux occurs between 0800 and 1200 M.L.T.and ?76 and ?83° M.L.A.T.and for negativeB_ythe region occurs between 1200 and 1500 M.L.T. and ?79 and ?82° M.LAT. The dynamical variations associated with substorm activity when the IMF is southward obscure the expected B_y effect.     

Influences of the interplanetary magnetic field on the auroral dynamics

This paper reports the study concerning the latitudinal dispalacement of the auroral oval as a function of the northward orientation of the B_z-component IMF and the relation between southward B_z and the auroral dynamics in the night sector.     

Variation with interplanetary sector of the total magnetic field measured at the OGO 2, 4 and 6 satellites

Variations in the scalar magnetic field (ΔB) from the polar orbiting OGO 2, 4 and 6 spacecraft are examined as a function of altitude for times when the interplanetary magnetic field is toward the Sun and for times when the interplanetary magnetic field is away from the Sun. In both cases, at all altitudes, the total field variations form a region of positive ΔB between about 22 hr and 10 hr MLT and a region of negative ΔB between about 10 hr and 22 hr MLT. This morphology is basically the same as that found when all data, irrespective of inter-planetary magnetic sector, are averaged together (Langel, 1974a, b). Differences in ΔB occur, both between sectors and between seasons, which are similar in nature to variations in the surface ΔZ found by Langel (1973). The altitude variation of ΔB at sunlit local times, together with variations in the vertical component ΔZ at the Earth's surface, demonstrates that the ΔZ and ΔB which varies with sector has an ionospheric source. Langel (1974b) showed that the positive ΔB region in the dark portion of the hemisphere is due to at least two sources, the westward electrojet and an unidentified non-ionospheric source (s). Comparison of magnetic variations between season/sector at the surface and at the satellite, in the dark portion of the hemisphere, indicates that these variations are caused by variations in the latitudinally narrow electrojet currents and not by variations in the non-ionospheric source of ΔB.