Invariability of relationship between the polar cap magnetic activity and geoeffective interplanetary electric field

The PC (polar cap) index characterizing the solar wind energy input into the magnetosphere is calculated with use of parameters α, β, and &phi;, determining the relationship between the interplanetary electric field (<i>E</i>_KL) and the value of magnetic activity &delta;<i>F</i> in the polar caps. These parameters were noted as valid for large and small <i>E</i>_KL values, and as a result the suggestion was made (Troshichev et al., 2006) that the parameters should remain invariant irrespective of solar activity. To verify this suggestion, the independent sets of calibration parameters α, β, and &phi; were derived separately for the solar maximum (1998–2001) and solar minimum (1997, 2007–2009) epochs, with a proper choice of a quiet daily variation (QDC) as a level of reference for the polar cap magnetic activity value. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that parameters α, β, and &phi;, derived under conditions of solar maximum and solar minimum, are indeed in general conformity and provide consistent (within 10 % uncertainty) estimations of the PC index. It means that relationship between the geoeffective solar wind variations and the polar cap magnetic activity responding to these variations remains invariant irrespective of solar activity. The conclusion is made that parameters α, β, and &phi; derived in AARI#3 version for complete cycle of solar activity (1995–2005) can be regarded as forever valid

Power grid disturbances and polar cap index during geomagnetic storms

The strong geomagnetic storm in the evening of 30 October 2003 caused high-voltage power grid disturbances in Sweden that expanded to produce hour-long power line outage in Malmö located in the southern part of the country. This was not a unique situation. The geomagnetic storm on 13 March 1989 caused extensive disruptions of high-voltage power circuits especially in the Province of Quebec, Canada, but also to a lesser degree in Scandinavia. Similar events have occurred earlier, among others, during the great storms of 13–14 July 1982 and 8–9 February 1986. These high-voltage power grid disturbances were related to impulsive magnetic variations accompanying extraordinarily intense substorm events. The events were preceded by lengthy intervals of unusually high values of the Polar Cap (PC) index caused by enhanced transpolar ionospheric convection. The transpolar convection transports magnetic flux from the dayside to nightside which causes equatorward displacements of the region of auroral activity enabling the substorms to hit vital power grids. During the 30 October 2003 event the intense solar proton radiation disabled the ACE satellite observations widely used to provide forecast of magnetic storm events. Hence in this case the alarmingly high PC index could provide useful warning of the storm as a back-up of the missing ACE-based forecast. In further cases, monitoring the PC index level could provide supplementary storm warnings to the benefit of power grid operators

Magnetic local time dependence of geomagnetic disturbances contributing to the AU and AL indices

The Auroral Electrojet (AE) indices, which are composed of four indices (AU, AL, AE, and AO), are calculated from the geomagnetic field data obtained at 12 geomagnetic observatories that are located in geomagnetic latitude (GMLAT) of 61.7°-70°. The indices have been widely used to study magnetic activity in the auroral zone. In the present study, we examine magnetic local time (MLT) dependence of geomagnetic field variations contributing to the AU and AL indices. We use 1-min geomagnetic field data obtained in 2003. It is found that both AU and AL indices have two ranges of MLT (AU: 15:00-22:00MLT, ~06:00 MLT; and AL: ~02:00 MLT, 09:00-12:00 MLT) contributing to the index during quiet periods and one MLT range (AU: 15:00-20:00MLT, and AL: 00:00-06:00 MLT) during disturbed periods. These results are interpreted in terms of various ionospheric current systems, such as, Sqp, Sq, and DP2

Long‐term variation of driven and unloading effects on polar cap dynamics

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95078/1/jgra21680.pd

Space weather monitoring by groundbased means

This book demonstrates that the method, based on the ground polar cap magnetic observations is a reliable diagnosis of the solar wind energy coming into the magnetosphere Method for the uninterruptive monitoring of the magnetosphere state (i.e. space weather). It shows that the solar wind energy pumping power, can be described by the PC growth rate, thus, the magnetospheric substorms features are predetermined by the PC dynamics. Furthermore, it goes on to show that the beginning and ending of magnetic storms is predictable. The magnetic storm start only if the solar energy input into the mag

Space Weather Monitoring by Ground-Based MeansPC Index /

XXIV, 288 p.online resource