Effects observed in the ionospheric F-region in the South American sector during the intense geomagnetic storm of 14 December 2006

This investigation presents observations related to the generation of equatorial ionospheric irregularities (also known as equatorial spread F (ESF)) including ionospheric plasma bubbles and dynamic behavior of the ionospheric F-region in the South American sector during an intense geomagnetic storm in December 2006 (a period of low solar activity). In this work, ionospheric sounding observations and GPS data obtained between 13 and 16 December 2006 at several stations in the South American sector are presented. On the geomagnetically disturbed night of 14 and 15 December, ionospheric plasma bubbles were observed after an unusual uplifting of the F-region during pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) period. The unusual uplifting of the F-region during PRE was possibly associated with prompt penetration of electric field of magnetospheric origin. During the geomagnetic disturbance night of 14 and 15 December, strong oscillations due to the propagation of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) by the Joule heating in the auroral region were observed in the F-region at São José dos Campos (SJC, 23.2°S, 45.9°W; dip latitude 17.6°S), Brazil, and Port Stanley (PST, 51.6°S, 57.9°W; geom. latitude 41.6°S). The VTEC-GPS observations presented on the night of 14 and 15 December 2006 show both positive and negative storm phases in the South American sector, possibly due to changes in the large-scale wind circulation and changes in the O/N₂ ratio in the southern hemisphere, respectively.     

利用热力学与统计物理方法研究电离层E层的形成

将太阳光子作为反应物引入电离层化学反应中, 运用化学热力学方法, 获得低电离层光化学反应的反应度及其化学平衡常数, 进而得到低电离层的电子密度, 并通过统计物理方法推导出相应的化学平衡常数. 结果显示, 运用热力学方法得到的低电离层电子密度与Chapman理论几乎完全一致, 表明利用热力学方法研究电离层的形成是可行的. 分别用热力学方法和统计物理方法得到的平衡常数之间存在一定的差异, 分析表明, 这是因为光化学过程中并非所有光子能量都转化成了电离能, 其中有一部分能量转化为热能或使粒子处于激发态, 这种差异的存在使利用统计物理方法推导电离层等离子体温度成为可能.      

火星空间大尺度电流体系分布特征

在MHD模型基础上, 对火星空间环境的电流分布进行了模拟. 结果表明, 火星空间存在着弓激波电流、磁堆积区电流、电离层电流和磁尾电流. 弓激波电流在激波曲面上均由北向南自成体系, 电流密度在弓激波顶区域较大. 在向阳面磁堆积区边界电流与电离层电流彼此耦合形成完整的回路, 在背阳面磁堆积区边界电流与磁尾中心电流片耦合形成完整的回路.      

Hierarchical Bayesian modeling of ionospheric TEC disturbances as non-stationary processes

We model regular and irregular variation of ionospheric total electron content as stationary and non-stationary processes, respectively. We apply the method developed to SCINDA GPS data set observed at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia $\left(11.6°\text{N,}37.4°\text{E}\right)$. We use hierarchical Bayesian inversion with Gaussian Markov random process priors, and we model the prior parameters in the hyperprior. We use Matérn priors via stochastic partial differential equations, and use scaled $\text{Inv}-{\chi }^2$ hyperpriors for the hyperparameters. For drawing posterior estimates, we use Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods: Gibbs sampling and Metropolis-within-Gibbs for parameter and hyperparameter estimations, respectively. This allows us to quantify model parameter estimation uncertainties as well. We demonstrate the applicability of the method proposed using a synthetic test case. Finally, we apply the method to real GPS data set, which we decompose to regular and irregular variation components. The result shows that the approach can be used as an accurate ionospheric disturbance characterization technique that quantifies the total electron content variability with corresponding error uncertainties.     

Electrodynamic Coupling in the Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System

This paper presents a brief summary of our recent work based on global MHD simulations of the Solar wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (SMI) system with emphasis on the electrodynamic coupling in the system. The main conclusions obtained are summarized as follows. (1) As a main dynamo of the SMI system, the bow shock contributes to both region 1 Field-Aligned Current (FAC) and cross-tail current. Under strong interplanetary driving conditions and moderate Alfven Mach numbers, the bow shock's contribution may exceed more than fifty percent of the total of either region 1 or cross-tail currents. (2) In terms of more than 100 simulation runs with due southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), we have found a combined parameter f = E_swP_swM_A-1/2 (E_sw, P_sw, and M_A are the solar wind electric field, ram pressure, and Alfven Mach number, respectively): both the ionospheric transpolar potential and the magnetopause reconnection voltage vary linearly with f for small f, but saturate for large f. (3) The reconnection voltage is approximately fitted by sin3/2θ_IMF/2, where θ_IMF is the IMF clock angle. The ionospheric transpolar potential, the voltage along the polar cap boundary, and the electric fields along the merging line however defined they may be, respond differently to θ_IMF, so it is not justified to take them as substitutes for the reconnection voltage.      

火星磁场产生的原因及其分布

构建了一个可以得到火星赤道面上磁场分布的模型. 模型根据卫星观测数据, 提出了火星电离层、磁层顶和磁尾电流片上都各自通有电流的假设. 由电流的连续性条件可知, 这三种背景条件下的电流之间满足一定关系, 即火星磁层顶上的总电流是电离层上的总电流与磁尾电流片上的总电流之和. 这些电流产生的磁场与太阳风磁场共同构成了火星赤道面上磁场分布. 通过计算发现, 采用这种磁场模型得到的结果与目前卫星所观测的结果以及与采用其他方法得到的结果符合得较好.      

High-Latitude Particle Precipitation and its Relationship to Magnetospheric Source Regions

Two central issues in magnetospheric research are understanding the mapping of the low-altitude ionosphere to the distant regions of the magnetsphere, and understanding the relationship between the small-scale features detected in the various regions of the ionosphere and the global properties of the magnetosphere. The high-latitude ionosphere, through its magnetic connection to the outer magnetosphere, provides an important view of magnetospheric boundaries and the physical processes occurring there. All physical manifestations of this magnetic connectivity (waves, particle precipitation, etc.), however, have non-zero propagation times during which they are convected by the large-scale magnetospheric electric field, with phenomena undergoing different convection distances depending on their propagation times. Identification of the ionospheric signatures of magnetospheric regions and phenomena, therefore, can be difficult. Considerable progress has recently been made in identifying these convection signatures in data from low- and high-altitude satellites. This work has allowed us to learn much about issues such as: the rates of magnetic reconnection, both at the dayside magnetopause and in the magnetotail; particle transport across the open magnetopause; and particle acceleration at the magnetopause and the magnetotail current sheets.     

Ionospheric response to the 3 August 2010 geomagnetic storm at mid and mid-high latitudes

The global ionospheric response to the geomagnetic storm occurred of 3 August 2010 is studied in terms of the ionospheric parameter foF2. Data from three longitudinal sectors (Asia/Pacific, Europe/Africa and America) are considered. Some new aspects of the storm time ionospheric behavior are revealed. Results of the analysis show that the main ionospheric effects of the storm under consideration are: (a) prior to the storm, Japanese, Australian and American stations show increases in foF2, irrespective of the local time. (b) During the main phase, the stations of mid latitudes of the American sector show positive disturbances (in the pre-dusk hours), which subsequently change to negative. (c) During the recovery phase of the magnetic storm long-duration positive disturbances are observed at mid-low latitudes of the African chain. Also positive disturbances are observed in the Australian sector. In the European sector long-duration negative disturbances are seen at mid-high latitudes during the last part of the recovery phase while at mid-low latitudes a positive disturbance is seen, followed by a negative disturbance. In general, the ionospheric storm effects show a clear hemispheric asymmetry.     

JUXTA: A new probe of X-ray emission from the Jupiter system

For the future Japanese exploration mission of the Jupiter’s magnetosphere (JMO: Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter), a unique instrument named JUXTA (Jupiter X-ray Telescope Array) is being developed. It aims at the first in-situ measurement of X-ray emission associated with Jupiter and its neighborhood. Recent observations with Earth-orbiting satellites have revealed various X-ray emission from the Jupiter system. X-ray sources include Jupiter’s aurorae, disk emission, inner radiation belts, the Galilean satellites and the Io plasma torus. X-ray imaging spectroscopy can be a new probe to reveal rotationally driven activities, particle acceleration and Jupiter–satellite binary system. JUXTA is composed of an ultra-light weight X-ray telescope based on micromachining technology and a radiation-hard semiconductor pixel detector. It covers 0.3–2 keV with the energy resolution of <100 eV at 0.6 keV. Because of proximity to Jupiter (∼30 Jovian radii at periapsis), the image resolution of <5 arcmin and the on-axis effective area of >3 cm² at 0.6 keV allow extremely high photon statistics and high resolution observations.     

Influence of the Ionosphere on the Observation of the Mid-Latitude Pi2 Pulsations at the Global Scale

Results of our investigation showed that occurrence frequency of Pi2 over a 24 hour period undergoes seasonal variations in time coincidence with foF2. In the winter months, at sunrise and sunset (when foF2gradients are the largest) the observation probability of these oscillations is minimal. At periods of summer solstice when the F2-layer persists almost round the clock, no effect of Pi2 pulsation attenuation is observed at sunrise and sunset. The pulsation amplitudes behave in a similar manner. Results of this study suggest the conclusion that the propagation of signal from the Pi2 sourse into the mid-latitudes, and also the parameters of these pulsations are essentially affected by electron density in the ionospheric F2-layer.