Gravity waves and wind-shear in the MLT at 23°S

We have used the technique suggested by Hocking [Hocking, W. A new approach to momentum flux determinations using SKiYMET meteor radars. Ann. Geophys. 23, 2005.] to derive short period wind variances in the 80–100 km region from meteor radar data. We find that these fluctuating winds, assumed to correspond to gravity waves and turbulence, are closely correlated with the vertical shear of the horizontal tidal winds. This close correlation suggests that in situ wind shear may be a major source of gravity waves and turbulence in the MLT. If this is the case, gravity waves generated in the troposphere and propagating up to the MLT region, generally assumed to constitute an important influence on the climatology of the region, may be a less important source of energy and momentum in the 80–100 km region than has been hitherto believed.     

Global electric circuit modulation of winter cyclone vorticity in the northern high latitudes

Small changes in extended winter (November–March) 500 hPa vorticity area index (VAI) values for the 60–80°N latitude band are shown to be positively correlated with changes in a proxy for the high latitude ionosphere-to-surface current density _Jz$J_z$.     

VLF Emissions observed at the low latitude Indian station Varanasi

VLF emissions such as hiss, chorus, pulsing hiss, triggered emissions observed at Varanasi (geom. lat. = 14° 55′ N, long. = 153° 55′ E) are reported. An attempt has been made to explain the dynamic spectra in terms of the generation mechanism and propagation through the inhomogeneous magnetoplasma. It is noted that the reported events have propagated along different L-values in the magnetosphere, although they have been recorded at the same station. The ULF waves propagating along geomagnetic field lines modulate the growth rate of VLF waves, which results in the pulsation of VLF hiss intensity. The pulsating growth rate has been computed.     

Galactic cosmic ray gradients in the ecliptic plane and at high latitudes during two solar cycles (meteorite data)

Results of investigations of cosmogenic isotope radioactivity in chondrites fallen to earth during two solar cycles are presented. The data obtained on radial and latitudinal gradients cover the period 1955–1976, heliocentric distances from 1.03 AU to 3.33 AU, and heliographic latitudes from 23°S to 16°N. The dependence of radial and latitudinal gradients on the phase of solar activity is established, as well as a north-south asymmetry during a certain period after the inversion of the general solar magnetic field in 1969.     

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.     

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.