Source of the Bursty Bulk Flow Diffuse Aurora: Electrostatic Cyclotron Harmonic and Whistler Waves in the Coupling of Bursty Bulk Flows to Auroral Precipitation

Electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) and whistler chorus waves are recognized as the two mechanisms responsible for the resonant waveparticle interactions necessary to precipitate plasma sheet electrons into the ionosphere, producing the diffuse Aurora. Previous work has demonstrated ECH waves dominate electron scattering at L shells >8, while whistler chorus dominates scattering at L shells L 1, consistent with electron betatron acceleration. Here, however, we nd whistler chorus emissions throughout an interval of fast ows where Te,/Te,||< 1. Parallel electron beams account for the enhanced parallel electron temperature and serve as the instability mechanism for the whistler chorus. The parallel electron beams and associated cigarshaped distributions are consistent with Fermi acceleration at dipolarizations in fast ows. We demonstrate that the scattering efciency of the whistler chorus exceeds that of ECH waves, which THEMIS also detects during the fast ows. The obliquity of the whistler waves permits efcient scattering of lowerenergy electrons into the diffuse aurora. We conclude that Fermi acceleration of electrons provides one important freeenergy source for the waveparticle interactions responsible for coupling plasma sheet electrons into the diffuse aurora during substorm conditions

Features of energetic particle radial profiles inferred from geosynchronous responses to solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements

Determination of the radial profile of phase space density of relativistic electrons at constant adiabatic invariants is crucial for identifying the source for them within the outer radiation belt. The commonly used method is to convert flux observed at fixed energy to phase space density at constant first, second and third adiabatic invariants, which requires an empirical global magnetic field model and thus might produce some uncertainties in the final results. From a different perspective, in this paper we indirectly infer the shape of the radial profile of phase space density of relativistic electrons near the geosynchronous region by statistically examining the geosynchronous energetic flux response to 128 solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements during the years 2000 to 2003. We thus avoid the disadvantage of using empirical magnetic field models. Our results show that the flux response is species and energy dependent. For protons and low-energy electrons, the primary response to magnetospheric compression is an increase in flux at geosynchronous orbit. For relativistic electrons, the dominant response is a decrease in flux, which implies that the phase space density decreases toward increasing radial distance at geosynchronous orbit and leads to a local peak inside of geosynchronous orbit. The flux response of protons and non-relativistic electrons could result from a phase density that increases toward increasing radial distance, but this cannot be determined for sure due to the particle energization associated with pressure enhancements. Our results for relativistic electrons are consistent with previous results obtained using magnetic field models, thus providing additional confirmation that these results are correct and indicating that they are not the result of errors in their selected magnetic field model

Magnetospheric reconnection driven by solar wind pressure fronts

International audienceRecent work has shown that solar wind dynamic pressure changes can have a dramatic effect on the particle precipitation in the high-latitude ionosphere. It has also been noted that the preexisting interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation can significantly affect the resulting changes in the size, location, and intensity of the auroral oval. Here we focus on the effect of pressure pulses on the size of the auroral oval. We use particle precipitation data from up to four Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft and simultaneous POLAR Ultra-Violet Imager (UVI) images to examine three events of solar wind pressure fronts impacting the magnetosphere under two IMF orientations, IMF strongly southward and IMF Bz nearly zero before the pressure jump. We show that the amount of change in the oval and polar cap sizes and the local time extent of the change depends strongly on IMF conditions prior to the pressure enhancement. Under steady southward IMF, a remarkable poleward widening of the oval at all magnetic local times and shrinking of the polar cap are observed after the increase in solar wind pressure. When the IMF Bz is nearly zero before the pressure pulse, a poleward widening of the oval is observed mostly on the nightside while the dayside remains unchanged. We interpret these differences in terms of enhanced magnetospheric reconnection and convection induced by the pressure change. When the IMF is southward for a long time before the pressure jump, open magnetic flux is accumulated in the tail and strong convection exists in the magnetosphere. The compression results in a great enhancement of reconnection across the tail which, coupled with an increase of magnetospheric convection, leads to a dramatic poleward expansion of the oval at all MLTs (dayside and nightside). For near-zero IMF Bz before the pulse the open flux in the tail, available for closing through reconnection, is smaller. This, in combination with the weaker magnetospheric convection, leads to a more limited poleward expansion of the oval, mostly on the nightside. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (solar windmagnetosphere interactions; magnetospheric configuration and dynamics; auroral phenomena

Impact of Precipitating Electrons and Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Processes on Ionospheric Conductance

Modeling of electrodynamic coupling between the magnetosphere and ionosphere depends on accurate specification of ionospheric conductances produced by auroral electron precipitation. Magnetospheric models determine the plasma properties on magnetic field lines connected to the auroral ionosphere, but the precipitation of energetic particles into the ionosphere is the result of a two step process. The first step is the initiation of electron precipitation into both magnetic conjugate points from Earths plasma sheet via wave-particle interactions. The second step consists of the multiple atmospheric reflections of electrons at the two magnetic conjugate points, which produces secondary superthermal electron fluxes. The steady state solution for the precipitating particle fluxes into the ionosphere differs significantly from that calculated based on the originating magnetospheric population predicted by MHD and ring current kinetic models. Thus, standard techniques for calculating conductances from the mean energy and energy flux of precipitating electrons in model simulations must be modified to account for these additional processes. Here we offer simple parametric relations for calculating Pedersen and Hall height-integrated conductances that include the contributions from superthermal electrons produced by magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere coupling in the auroral regions

Distinct Scaling Regimes of Energy Release Dynamics in the Nighttime Magnetosphere

Based on a spatiotemporal analysis of POLAR UVI images, we show that the auroral emission events that initiate equatorward of the isotropic boundary (IB) obtained from a time-dependent empirical model, have systematically steeper power-law slopes of energy, power, area and lifetime probability distributions compared to the events that initiate poleward of the IB. The low-latitude group of events contains a distinct subpopulation of substorm-scale disturbances violating the power-law behavior, while the high latitude group is described by nearly perfect power-law statistics over the entire range of scales studied. The results obtained indicate that the inner and outer portions of the plasma sheet are characterized by substantially different scaling regimes of bursty energy dissipation suggestive of different physics in these regions.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, 2 table

The longitudinal variability of equatorial electrojet and vertical drift velocity in the African and American sectors

While the formation of equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and its temporal variation is believed to be fairly well understood, the longitudinal variability at all local times is still unknown. This paper presents a case and statistical study of the longitudinal variability of dayside EEJ for all local times using ground-based observations. We found EEJ is stronger in the west American sector and decreases from west to east longitudinal sectors. We also confirm the presence of significant longitudinal difference in the dusk sector pre-reversal drift, using the ion velocity meter (IVM) instrument onboard the C/NOFS satellite, with stronger pre-reversal drift in the west American sector compared to the African sector. Previous satellite observations have shown that the African sector is home to stronger and year-round ionospheric bubbles/irregularities compared to the American and Asian sectors. This study's results raises the question if the vertical drift, which is believed to be the main cause for the enhancement of Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability growth rate, is stronger in the American sector and weaker in the African sector – why are the occurrence and amplitude of equatorial irregularities stronger in the African sector

Response of the equatorial ionosphere to the geomagnetic DP 2 current system

The response of equatorial ionosphere to the magnetospheric origin DP 2 current system fluctuations is examined using ground‐based multiinstrument observations. The interaction between the solar wind and magnetosphere generates a convection electric field that can penetrate to the ionosphere and cause the DP 2 current system. The quasiperiodic DP 2 current system, which fluctuates coherently with fluctuations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz, penetrates nearly instantaneously to the dayside equatorial region at all longitudes and modulates the electrodynamics that governs the equatorial density distributions. In this paper, using magnetometers at high and equatorial latitudes, we demonstrate that the quasiperiodic DP 2 current system penetrates to the equator and causes the dayside equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and the independently measured ionospheric drift velocity to fluctuate coherently with the high‐latitude DP 2 current as well as with the IMF Bz component. At the same time, radar observations show that the ionospheric density layers move up and down, causing the density to fluctuate up and down coherently with the EEJ and IMF Bz.Key PointsThe solar wind‐magnetosphere interaction generates DP 2 current fluctuationThe DP 2 current fluctuations penetrate to the equator and cause the equatorial electrodynamics to fluctuateIt also causes the equatorial density to fluctuate which might affect the communication and navigation systemsPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134255/1/grl54722.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134255/2/grl54722_am.pd

Association of radiation belt electron enhancements with earthward penetration of Pc5 ULF waves: a case study of intense 2001 magnetic storms

Geospace magnetic storms, driven by the solar wind, are associated with increases or decreases in the fluxes of relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt. We examine the response of relativistic electrons to four intense magnetic storms, during which the minimum of the Dst index ranged from −105 to −387 nT, and compare these with concurrent observations of ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves from the trans-Scandinavian IMAGE magnetometer network and stations from multiple magnetometer arrays available through the worldwide SuperMAG collaboration. The latitudinal and global distribution of Pc5 wave power is examined to determine how deep into the magnetosphere these waves penetrate. We then investigate the role of Pc5 wave activity deep in the magnetosphere in enhancements of radiation belt electrons population observed in the recovery phase of the magnetic storms. We show that, during magnetic storms characterized by increased post-storm electron fluxes as compared to their pre-storm values, the earthward shift of peak and inner boundary of the outer electron radiation belt follows the Pc5 wave activity, reaching L shells as low as 3–4. In contrast, the one magnetic storm characterized by irreversible loss of electrons was related to limited Pc5 wave activity that was not intensified at low L shells. These observations demonstrate that enhanced Pc5 ULF wave activity penetrating deep into the magnetosphere during the main and recovery phase of magnetic storms can, for the cases examined, distinguish storms that resulted in increases in relativistic electron fluxes in the outer radiation belts from those that did not