Observation of Split Crescent Cells During IMF BY-Dominated Periods

Details Observation of Split Crescent Cells During IMF BY-Dominated Periods Observation of Split Crescent Cells During IMF BY-Dominated Periods

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsm23d..08w&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SM23D-08

Physics

[2463] Ionosphere / Plasma Convection, [2723] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetic Reconnection, [2736] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetosphere/Ionosphere Interactions, [2760] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Convection

Scientific paper

When the dawn-dusk component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF BY) is dominant, ionospheric convection usually exhibits a distorted two-cell pattern. For IMF BY < 0, in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere, the dawnside (duskside) cell is relatively round while the duskside (dawnside) cell is crescent-shaped; for IMF BY > 0, the dawn-dusk relation reverses. However, this basic round/crescent cell pattern has some variants because there is a certain amount of freedom in mapping the reconnection X lines from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. While the round cell is relatively stable, the crescent cell splits into two (split crescent cells) when the projected X lines of lobe-closed interchange reconnection are separated from those of Dungey-type reconnection. In spite of its presence in the observations in the past, the split crescent cell pattern has long been unrecognized because researchers have been preoccupied by Dungey’s two-cell picture. In this paper, we identify and interpret, from a new perspective, observations of split crescent cells. Using Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) data, we demonstrate four case studies, two for the IMF BY < 0 case and two for the IMF BY > 0 case.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Observation of Split Crescent Cells During IMF BY-Dominated Periods does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Observation of Split Crescent Cells During IMF BY-Dominated Periods, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Observation of Split Crescent Cells During IMF BY-Dominated Periods will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1878209