Electrodynamic Response of the Ionosphere to High-Speed Solar-Wind Streams

Details Electrodynamic Response of the Ionosphere to High-Speed Solar-Wind Streams Electrodynamic Response of the Ionosphere to High-Speed Solar-Wind Streams

Dec 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsa13c..03p&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SA13C-03

Physics

[2411] Ionosphere / Electric Fields, [2435] Ionosphere / Ionospheric Disturbances

Scientific paper

A combination of dawn and dusk observations from the DMSP F13 satellite and output from the thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamics general circulation model (TIE-GCM) are used to study the electrodynamic response of the ionosphere to quasi 9-day recurrent geomagnetic activity driven by solar wind high-speed streams during 2005. Superposed epoch analysis of the zonal and vertical plasma drifts reveal that significant electrodynamic perturbations occur in response to the high-speed streams during 2005. The peak response occurs around 0.5 days after the high-speed stream interface, and the drift perturbations slowly relax back to quiet levels over 4-6 days. The observed and modeled zonal drift perturbations are in good agreement. At low- and mid-latitudes the modeled drift perturbations are westward at all local times, with the largest westward drifts occurring near midnight. At dawn, the DMSP observations at low- and mid-latitudes reveal ~20ms-1 eastward drift perturbations, while the TIE-GCM simulates weaker eastward drifts at mid-latitudes and westward drifts in the equatorial region. At dusk, the low- and mid-latitude perturbation drifts are ~10-20ms-1 westward in both the DMSP observations and TIE-GCM simulations. Owing to equatorial expansion and strengthening of the high-latitude two-cell convection pattern, the high-latitude zonal drift perturbations are eastward in the morning and westward in the afternoon and evening. Less agreement is present between the simulated and observed vertical drift perturbations. Near dawn, at all latitudes upward drift perturbations are revealed by both the TIE-GCM simulation (~5ms-1) and DMSP observations (~10-15ms-1). However, at dusk the DMSP observes an upward drift perturbation on the order of 25-35ms-1, while the TIE-GCM simulates vertical drift perturbations less than 10ms-1. The disagreement may be related to errors in the DMSP observations, or deficiencies in the model. Based on the results presented, we conclude that the disturbance dynamo mechanism is responsible for driving the electrodynamic response to recurrent geomagnetic activity driven by solar wind high-speed streams. The results presented demonstrate the significant electrodynamic perturbations that occur in response to recurrent geomagnetic activity. Furthermore, the electrodynamic perturbations presented herein have significant implications for ionospheric electron densities. This is especially the case at low-latitudes, where the ionospheric electron density distribution is strongly controlled by the vertical drifts, and our results indicate that significant changes in the electron density distribution occur at low-latitudes as a result of changes in the electrodynamics in response to recurrent geomagnetic activity.

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