Study of mid-latitude ionospheric convection during quiet and disturbed periods using the SuperDARN Hokkaido radar

Westward ionospheric convective flows around midnight are frequently observed at mid-latitudes. They can be generated by so-called disturbance dynamo mechanisms working mainly in the mid-latitudes. To understand the influence of disturbance dynamo effects in the mid-latitudes, we studied the latitudinal distribution of westward flows in association with several kinds of geomagnetic disturbances using the SuperDARN Hokkaido radar. This radar creates high temporal resolution (1 s to 2 min), two-dimensional observations measuring the line-of-sight velocities of ionospheric plasma irregularities, which can be regarded as line-of-sight velocities of ionospheric convection in the mid-latitude region from 40° to 50°. This region could not be monitored using preexisting SuperDARN radars. In this study, we used ionospheric echo data obtained by the SuperDARN Hokkaido radar over 5 years (December 2006 to November 2011). We identified westward flows around midnight at about 40° to 55° geomagnetic latitude. Additionally, the data showed that the westward flow around midnight intensified under high geomagnetic activity (high Kp). This suggests that the disturbance dynamo could affect the mid-latitude ionospheric convection. We performed Superposed Epoch Analysis (SEA) to study the influences from the geomagnetic disturbances on mid-latitude ionospheric convection. We found no obvious influence during major storms (minimum Dst below −60 nT). SEA was also used to study the temporal and latitudinal dependence on the influences from substorms. From analysis of 36 events of AL-defined substorms, we saw that the influence of substorms lasted from 5 to 20 h after the onset between 44° and 53° geomagnetic latitude. The westward flow at mid-latitude grew to a maximum at 12 h after the geomagnetic substorm onset. This is consistent with the results of past numerical simulation studies of the disturbance dynamo effects.     

Agravitropic mutant for the study of hydrotropism in seedling roots

Roots have been shown to respond to a moisture gradient by positive hydrotropism. Agravitropic mutant plants are useful for the study of the hydrotropism in roots because on Earth hydrotropism is obviously altered by the gravity response in the roots of normally gravitropic plants. The roots are able to sense water potential gradient as small as 0.5 MPa mm⁻¹. The root cap includes the sensing apparatus that causes a differential growth at the elongation region of roots. A gradient in apoplastic calcium and calcium influx through plasmamembrane in the root cap is somehow involved in the signal transduction mechanism in hydrotropism, which may cause a differential change in cell wall extensibility at the elongation region. We have isolated an endoxy loglucan transferase (EXGT) gene that is strongly expressed in pea roots and appears to be involved in the differential growth in hydrotropically responding roots. Thus, it is now possible to study hydrotropism in roots by comparing with or separate from gravitropism. These results also imply that microgravity conditions in space are useful for the study of hydrotropism and its interaction with gravitropism.