Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jan 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994phdt.........7g&link_type=abstract
Ph.D. Thesis Texas Univ., Dallas, TX.
Computer Science
Earth Ionosphere, Energy Transfer, Geomagnetism, Interplanetary Magnetic Fields, Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling, Polar Regions, Poynting Theorem, Electric Fields, Error Analysis, Field Strength, Satellite Observation, Space Plasmas, Winds Aloft
Scientific paper
The use of Poynting flux measured from a polar orbiting satellite to determine energy transfer rates between the ionized and neutral constituents of the high latitude ionosphere has been examined in detail. Previous work on the topic suggested the applicability of the technique, but early derivations and examples lacked the refinement that a more in depth study could provide. The application of Poynting's theorem to satellite measurements is worked out with sufficient rigor to clearly identify the assumptions required for a sensible interpretation of the results. The errors inherent in the determination of the field-aligned Poynting flux are explored, which includes the errors from deriving the electric field from the drift velocity measurements and the errors involved in the perturbation magnetic field determination. The resulting relative error in the Poynting flux increases with decreasing field strengths, and the smallest relative error is shown to be about 15 percent. Several case studies are presented along with a detailed description of the analysis technique. These examples include a case where the magnetosphere dominates the electrodynamics in the ionosphere, a case where the thermospheric winds dominate the electrodynamics over a large region in the ionosphere, and a series of observations where stable conditions in the interplanetary environment allow a quasi-steady state to be achieved in the ionosphere. This variety of case studies highlights the use of Poynting flux observations to identify the relative strengths of the magnetospheric and neutral wind dynamos in driving the large scale energy flow into and out of the ionosphere. The work concludes with a statistical survey of the distribution of energy transfer rates in the high latitude ionosphere as inferred from Poynting flux observations. The average Poynting flux has been found to be directed into the ionosphere, indicating that the magnetosphere is dominantly in control of the plasma circulation in the ionosphere, as expected. The distributions for northward and southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions at high and low geomagnetic activity are given, and the results are shown to be compatible with the differences in the average circulation patterns of the ions and neutrals under those conditions. Upward Poynting flux occurrences have been examined independently, with the unexpected result of significant occurrences of upward Poynting flux in the post-midnight sector for southward IMF.
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