A Thermodynamic Approach to the Magnetospheric Complexity: The Role of Fluctuations

Recent studies evidenced that the magnetotail dynamics looks like the one of an avalanching system. This fact has been related with a near criticality dynamics and modelled by singular diffusion and transport equations. Here, we discuss some features of the Earth’s magnetotail dynamics using a thermodynamic approach. In detail we discuss the role played by fluctuations in singular diffusion and relaxation processes from a non-equilibrium thermodynamics point of view. Moreover, the emergence of non-Gaussian statistics is discussed in the framework of the thermodynamics of composite systems.     

Which solar EUV indices are best for reconstructing the solar EUV irradiance?

The solar EUV irradiance is of key importance for space weather. Most of the time, however, surrogate quantities such as EUV indices have to be used by lack of continuous and spectrally resolved measurements of the irradiance. The ability of such proxies to reproduce the irradiance from different solar atmospheric layers is usually investigated by comparing patterns of temporal correlations. We consider instead a statistical approach. The TIMED/SEE experiment, which has been continuously operating since February 2002, allows for the first time to compare in a statistical manner the EUV spectral irradiance to five EUV proxies: the sunspot number, the f10.7, Ca K, and Mg II indices, and the He I equivalent width.