The solar wind control of the equatorial ionosphere dynamics during geomagnetic storms

The interplanetary magnetic field, geomagnetic variations, virtual ionosphere height h′F, and the critical frequency foF2 data during the geomagnetic storms are studied to demonstrate relationships between these phenomena. We study 5-min ionospheric variations using the first Western Pacific Ionosphere Campaign (1998–1999) observations, 5-min interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and 5-min auroral electrojets data during a moderate geomagnetic storm. These data allowed us to demonstrate that the auroral and the equatorial ionospheric phenomena are developed practically simultaneously. Hourly average of the ionospheric foF2 and h′F variations at near equatorial stations during a similar storm show the same behavior. We suppose this is due to interaction between electric fields of the auroral and the equatorial ionosphere during geomagnetic storms. It is shown that the low-latitude ionosphere dynamics during these moderate storms was defined by the southward direction of the B_z-component of the interplanetary magnetic field. A southward IMF produces the Region I and Region II field-aligned currents (FAC) and polar electrojet current systems. We assume that the short-term ionospheric variations during geomagnetic storms can be explained mainly by the electric field of the FAC. The electric fields of the field-aligned currents can penetrate throughout the mid-latitude ionosphere to the equator and may serve as a coupling agent between the auroral and the equatorial ionosphere.     

Standing Alfvén waves with m ≫ 1 in a dipole magnetosphere with moving plasma and aurorae

The structure of standing Alfvén waves with large azimuthal wave numbers (m ? 1) is studied in a dipole model of the magnetosphere with rotating plasma. In the direction across magnetic shells the structure of such waves is determined by their dispersion associated with curvature of geomagnetic field lines and corresponds to the travelling wave localized between toroidal and poloidal resonant surfaces. In projection into the ionosphere (along geomagnetic field lines) this structure is similar to the structure of a discrete auroral arc. The azimuthal structure of an auroral arc is similar to azimuthal structure of Alfvén waves with m ∼ 100. Possible interaction mechanisms between the Alfvén waves and energetic electron fluxes forming auroral arcs are discussed.     

A statistical analysis of low frequency geomagnetic field pulsations at two Antarctic geomagnetic observatories in the polar cap region

The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of low frequency (∼0.5–5 mHz) geomagnetic field fluctuations as recorded at two Antarctic stations within the polar cap: the Italian observatory Mario Zucchelli Station (TNB) and the French–Italian observatory Dome C (DMC) in order to investigate the spatial extension and propagation characteristics of the phenomena observed at very high latitude. The stations have approximately the same geographic latitude, but a very different corrected geomagnetic latitude, being DMC close to the geomagnetic pole and TNB closer to the auroral oval.     

Enhancement of solar wind low-energy energetic particles as precursor of geomagnetic disturbance in operational geomagnetic forecast

A study of the relationship between solar wind low-energy energetic particles using data from the Electron, Proton, and Alpha Monitor (EPAM) onboard the Advanced Compositional Explorer spacecraft (ACE) and geomagnetic activity using data from Canadian magnetic observatories in Canada’s polar cap, auroral zone, and subauroral zone was carried out for a period spanning 1997–2005. Full halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were used to gauge the initial particle enhancements and the subsequent geomagnetic activity. It was found that maximum geomagnetic activity is related to maximum particle enhancements in a non-linear fashion. Quadratic fit of the data results in expressions that can be easily used in an operational space weather setting to forecast geomagnetic disturbance quantitatively. A superposed epoch analysis shows increase in particle flux level starts hours before geomagnetic activity attains its peak, affirming the precursory nature of EPAM particles for the impending geomagnetic impact of CME. This can supplement the decision process in formulating geomagnetic warning after the launch of CME from the Sun but before the arrival of shock at Earth. The empirical relationships between solar wind low-energy energetic particles and geomagnetic activity revealed in this statistical study can be easily codified, and thus utilized in operational space weather forecast to appraise the geoeffectiveness of the CME and to provide a quantitative forecast for maximum geomagnetic activity in Canada’s polar cap, auroral zone, and subauroral zone after the occurrence of a CME.     

Solar-proton polar-cap intensity structures as a test of magnetic field models

The entry of energetic solar protons to the polar caps offers an interesting way to test models of the geomagnetic field. In this brief report, we present a comparison between SAMPEX observations of solar-particle intensity structure during a polar cap traversal with numerical trajectory calculations using the IGRF + T96 field model.     

Physical implications of discrepancy between summer and winter PC indices observed in the course of magnetospheric substorms

The PC index based on a statistically justified relationship between the polar cap magnetic activity and the interplanetary electric field E_KL has been derived as a value standardized for the E_KL intensity regardless of season, UT and hemisphere. As a result, the summer and winter PC indices are consistent with one another under ordinary conditions. Discrepancies between the summer and winter PC indices arising in the course of magnetospheric substorms are analyzed in this paper. It is argued that the channel of enhanced conductivity, formed in the auroral oval owing to intense auroral particle precipitation, strongly improves the conditions for closure of the Region 1 field-aligned currents in the winter dark polar region but only trivially affects the conditions of the Region 1 FAC closure in the summer sunlit ionosphere. Since the coefficients describing the relationship between E_KL and the polar cap magnetic activity were derived for statistically justified (i.e., mean) conditions, their application to such abnormal situation, as intense field-aligned currents in the winter dark polar region, leads to overestimation of the winter PC index. The summer and winter PC indices level off as soon as the intense auroral particle precipitation terminates and the auroral ionosphere in the winter and summer polar caps returns to the ordinary (statistically justified) state.     

北极黄河站极光亚暴期间低热层大气中性风研究

极光亚暴是地球空间基本的能量输入、耦合及耗散过程,其对低热层大气中性风的影响不容忽视,对这一问题进行深入研究具有重要意义.2010年11月,中国北极黄河站(78.92°N,11.93°E)安装了一台自主研制的全天空法布里-珀罗干涉仪(FPI)并开始进行正常观测,为中国首次获得了极光亚暴期间的FPI观测数据.根据2012年越冬期间的观测情况,对2012年11月12-14日及12月09-11日两个极光亚暴事件期间的数据进行处理,计算得到了5级干涉环对应的风场.亚暴期间风场变化与地磁活动变化的对比分析表明,风速的剧烈变化可能是由地磁活动剧烈扰动造成的.针对2012年11月13日00:00UT-02:00UT和2012年12月10日05:00UT-07:30UT的亚暴事件,将全天空相机拍摄到的极光图像与FPI干涉图像对应的视线风场进行对比分析.结果表明在极光活动中,视线风速加强的方向与极光弧的方向垂直,而在极光弧的平行方向,风速相对较小.      

Seismo ionospheric anomalies in Turkey associated with Mw ≥ 6.0 earthquakes detected by GPS stations and GIM TEC

Earthquake (EQ) anomalies in the form of enhancement and depletion in ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) from Global Positioning System (GPS) may considerably alarm about short and long term precursors of the impending main shock. In this paper, TEC anomalies are investigated from permanent GPS ground-stations in Turkey associated to M_w ≥ 6.0 EQs occurred in 2011–2012. Temporal and spatial analyses of TEC at 2 h sampling have shown significant evidences about EQ induced ionospheric anomalies during 10–14 h of UT (Universal Time) within 5 days before M_w 6.0 Greece, and M_w 7.1, Turkish EQ. Spatial analyses have manifested arrival of TEC anomalies at UT = 10 h to epicenter of both EQs, which linger above epicenter during UT = 12–14 h and left seismogenic zone after UT = 14 h before every EQ during K_p < 3 and Dst = 0 nT. Meanwhile, a geomagnetic storm (Dst < -100 nT) induce perturbation two days after the M_w 7.1 Turkish EQ, showing no relation with epicenter during spatial analysis. It also shows that TEC can be useful to distinguish geomagnetic storm variations to successfully detect EQ precursors. These anomalies during quiet storm (K_p < 3; Dst = 0 nT) conditions may be effective to link the lithosphere and ionosphere in severe seismic zones to detect EQ precursors before future EQs. Interpretation of TEC anomalies and it enhancements over EQ epicenters during UT = 12–14 h for both EQs have shown that EQs anomalies only occurred in particular time. Whereas, geomagnetic storm effect occurred during whole abnormal day over the Earth.     

CRIT II electric, magnetic, and density observations in an ionizing neutral jet

Measurements inside a high velocity neutral barium beam show a factor of six increase in plasma density in a moving ionizing front. This region was co-located with intense electric fields (δE ≈ 300 mV/m²) perpendicular to the local geomagnetic field and field aligned currents all fluctuating at frequencies well under the lower hybrid frequency for barium but above the oxygen cycloton frequency. It was determined that these structures were moving with the barium stream near the neutral barium velocity. Large quasi-dc electric and magnetic field fluctuations were also detected. The heart of the ionizing front, a cross beam current of nearly 10 mA/m², was estimated from the magnetic field variation. This is three orders of magnitude higher than typical auroral zone currents associated with auroral arcs. This current sheet was co-located with fluxes of soft electrons which saturated the particle detector. An Alfvén wave with a finite electric field component parallel to the geomagnetic field was observed to propagate along B_o where it was detected by an instrumented sub-payload.     

Models of the geomagnetic effect in the earth's thermosphere

A study was made of the variations in exospheric temperature in the disturbed thermosphere as a function of geomagnetic latitude and local time and of the level of disturbance. Temperatures were derived from the N₂ densities measured by the gas analyzer aboard the polar-orbiting satellite ESRO 4. Results indicated two maxima in the temperature response in high geomagnetic latitudes that are probably associated with particle precipitation. These maxima occur near the poleward limit of the auroral belts, at about 9 and 0 hours of local magnetic time. There is also evidence of the effect of Joule heating due to the auroral electrojets in the morning and evening auroral belts. Enhancement of the temperature response in middle latitudes is observed throughout the night side and in a region centered in the late afternoon.     

Dependence of E-sporadic layer response on solar and geomagnetic activity variations from its ion composition

The aim of this paper is to consider an influence of solar and geomagnetic activity level variations on frequency and stochastic parameters of mid-latitude ionosphere sporadic-E layer. Critical frequency of sporadic-E layer, foEs, relative excess of sporadic ionization over monthly median values, foEs − foEm/foEm, and probability of Es layer appearance, PEs, are considered. It has been found that sporadic-E layer parameters response to solar and geomagnetic activity level variations can be both positive (foEs and PEs values are increase) and negative (foEs and PEs values are decrease). In particular, sporadic-E layers response to solar and geomagnetic activity variations are different depending upon layer intensity. It is suggested that revealed differences may be associated with dissimilarity of the layers ion composition (high-intensive layers are composed from metallic ions and low intensive composed from molecular ions).     

Circulation of energetic ions of terrestrial origin in the magnetosphere

Energetic ion composition measurements have now been performed from earth orbiting satellites for more than a decade. As early as 1972 we knew that energetic (keV) ions of terrestrial origin represented a non-negligible component of the storm time ring current. We have now assembled a significant body of knowledge concerning energetic ion composition throughout much of the earth's magnetosphere. We know that terrestrial ions are a common component of the hot equatorial magnetospheric plasma in the ring current and the plasma sheet out to ? 23 R_E. During periods of enhanced geomagnetic activity this component may become dominant. There is also clear evidence that the terrestrial component (specifically O⁺) is strongly dependent on solar cycle. Terrestrial ion source, transport, and acceleration regions have been identified in the polar auroral region, over the polar caps, in the magnetospheric boundary layers, and within the magnetotail lobes and plasma sheet boundary layer. Combining our present knowledge of these various magnetospheric ion populations, it is concluded that the primary terrestrial ion circulation pattern associated with enhanced geomagnetic activity involves direct injection from the auroral ion acceleration region into the plasma sheet boundary layer and central plasma sheet. The observed terrestrial component of the magnetospheric boundary layer and magnetotail lobes are inadequate to provide the required influx. They may, however, contribute significantly to the maintenence of the plasma sheet terrestrial ion population, particularly during periods of reduced geomagnetic activity. It is further concluded, on the basis of the relative energy distributions of H⁺ and O⁺ in the plasma sheet, that O⁺ probably contributes significantly to the ring current population at energies inaccessible to present ion composition instrumentation (? 30 keV).     

Ionospheric and geomagnetic Pc5 oscillations as observed by the ionosonde and magnetometer at Sodankylä

The study is based on the data of the rapid-run ionosonde at the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory at auroral latitude (L?=?5.25) which routinely performs one-minute sounding since 2007. This dataset allows a unique opportunity for investigating possible effects of ultra-low frequency (ULF, 1–7?mHz) waves in the auroral ionosphere. Suitable observations were made during moderately disturbed geomagnetic conditions typically at recovery of the geomagnetic storms caused by solar wind high-speed streams, in the daytime between 9 and 16 MLT. The ionospheric oscillations corresponding to Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations were found in variations of the virtual height of the F layer and the power of ionosonde reflections from E and F layers. The later are most probably caused by modulation of electron precipitation, which is also manifested in weak (about 0.01–0.06?dB) variations of cosmic noise absorption. The most important and novel result is that the pulsations of power of reflection from E and F layers typically has a spectral maximum at nearly half the periodicity of the Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations, whereas such spectral peak is negligible in the geomagnetic pulsations.     

Long-term changes in indices of geomagnetic activity at the auroral station Sodankylä

Here we compare the traditional analog measure of geomagnetic activity, Ak, with the more recent digital indices of IHV and Ah based on hourly mean data, and their derivatives at the auroral station Sodankylä. By this selection of indices we study the effects of (i) analog vs. digital technique, and (ii) full local-time vs. local night-time coverage on quantifying local geomagnetic activity. We find that all other indices are stronger than Ak during the low-activity cycles 15–16 suggesting an excess of very low scalings in Ak at this time. The full-day indices consistently depict stronger correlation with the interplanetary magnetic field strength, while the night-time indices have higher correlation with solar wind speed. The Ak index correlates better with the digital indices of full-day coverage than with any night-time index. However, Ak depicts somewhat higher activity levels than the digital full-day indices in the declining phase of the solar cycle, indicating that, due to their different sampling rates, the latter indices are less sensitive to high-frequency variations driven by the Alfvén waves in high-speed streams. On the other hand, the night-time indices have an even stronger response to solar wind speed than Ak. The results strongly indicate that at auroral latitudes, geomagnetic indices with different local time coverage reflect different current systems, which, by an appropriate choice of indices, allows studying the century-scale dynamics of these currents separately.     

Height and time variability of planetary wave activity

The height–season and year-to-year regularities of parameters of first and second spatial harmonics determine the structure of the stratosphere and mesosphere circulation and its variability. In the period 1992–2002 at heights 0–55 km, the amplitudes and phases of the first and second spatial harmonics in the field of temperature, geopotential height, zonal and meridional wind were calculated by the method of harmonic decomposition. Dispersion (standard or mean square deviation) of their day-to-day and year-to-year variations was calculated by their wavelength constants. Height and season patterns of variability have been estimated. The difference in height–longitude variability for wave numbers m = 1 and 2 has been discovered. At the same time, the intensity of wave disturbances for m = 1 is less than for m = 2 excluding the polar areas, where a significant variability appears at the heights 0–55 km. There is also a tendency for the intensity of year-to-year variations to decrease in comparison with day-to-day variations. In cold and warm periods the amplitude of perturbation waves with m = 2 both for day-to-day and year-to-year variations is greater than for waves with m = 1. Transient height areas in the interval of 20–30 km are more distinct for day-to-day variations of polar area.     

Statistical analysis of geomagnetic field variations during solar eclipses

We investigate the geomagnetic field variations recorded by INTERMAGNET geomagnetic observatories, which are observed while the Moon’s umbra or penumbra passed over them during a solar eclipse event. Though it is generally considered that the geomagnetic field can be modulated during solar eclipses, the effect of the solar eclipse on the observed geomagnetic field has proved subtle to be detected. Instead of exploring the geomagnetic field as a case study, we analyze 207 geomagnetic manifestations acquired by 100 geomagnetic observatories during 39 solar eclipses occurring from 1991 to 2016. As a result of examining a pattern of the geomagnetic field variation on average, we confirm that the effect can be seen over an interval of 180?min centered at the time of maximum eclipse on a site of a geomagnetic observatory. That is, demonstrate an increase in the Y component of the geomagnetic field and decreases in the X component and the total strength of the geomagnetic field. We also find that the effect can be overwhelmed, depending more sensitively on the level of daily geomagnetic events than on the level of solar activity and/or the phase of solar cycle. We have demonstrated it by dividing the whole data set into subsets based on parameters of the geomagnetic field, solar activity, and solar eclipses. It is suggested, therefore, that an evidence of the solar eclipse effect can be revealed even at the solar maximum, as long as the day of the solar eclipse is magnetically quiet.     

Variations of geomagnetic cutoff rigidity in the southern hemisphere close to 70°W (South-Atlantic Anomaly and Antarctic zones) in the period 1975–2010

We report the existence of rapid variations in (effective) geomagnetic cutoff rigidity (Rc) between the equatorial and Antarctic zones adjacent to the Andes Mountains, revealed by the variation rate of geomagnetic cutoff rigidity (VRc) in the period 1975–2010. Our analysis is based on empirical records and theoretical models of the variations in cosmic rays and on the structure of geomagnetic fields. These have given us a different view of variations in Rc in time and space along the 70°W meridian, where secular variations in the geomagnetic field are strongly influenced by the proximity of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA), one of the most important characteristics of the terrestrial magnetic field that affects our planet, close from the equator to the 50°S parallel and from South America to South Africa. The VRc presents rapid changes in mid-latitudes where SAMA exerts its influence despite the existence of smooth changes in the geomagnetic field. This shows that these changes occur mainly in the spatial configuration, rather than in the temporal evolution of Rc. The analysis was performed using measurements from the Chilean Network of Cosmic Rays and Geomagnetism Observatories, equipped with BF-3 and latest generation He-3 neutron monitors, Fluxgate magnetometers, geomagnetic reference field (IGRF) and Tsyganenko 2001 model (just for completeness).     

A steady-state model for the D- to F-region of the polar cap

For obvious reasons the ionosphere of the polar cap, surrounded by the auroral zone, is only poorly investigated. Even ionosonde data are very scant from geomagnetic latitudes beyond 70°. Since 1997 the European incoherent scatter radar facility EISCAT has an additional installation on Svalbard and has been providing electron density data nearly continuously ever since. These measurements which mainly cover the E- and F-regions are supplemented by rocket data from Heiss Island at a comparable magnetic latitude; these data are more sporadic, but cover lower altitudes and densities. A provisional, steady-state, neural network-based model is presented which uses the data of both sites.     

Comparison between HF propagation and DEMETER satellite measurements within the mid-latitude trough

The morphology of the auroral, sub-auroral and mid-latitude trough region of the ionosphere is strongly dependent on the interplanetary magnetic field and the level of geomagnetic activity. Changes in the morphology impact on the characteristics of HF signals propagating through these regions of the ionosphere. In order to develop a better understanding of these effects, a number of experiments have recently been undertaken in which the time of flight and direction of arrival of HF signals have been measured over several paths aligned along the mid-latitude trough. In addition, observations made by the DEMETER satellite of the mid-latitude trough electron density structure, dynamics and wave activity were used in order to investigate the effect of the fine structure of the ionosphere on HF signals. For two types of relatively common night time HF time of flight and azimuth of arrival behaviour (referred to here and elsewhere as ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2’ propagation), the signal behaviour is consistent with scatter from irregularities in the auroral region in the one case, and from irregularities present on the floor of the trough in the other.