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Effect Of High Latitude Ionospheric Convection On Sun-Aligned Polar Caps, Jan Josef Sojka, Lie Zhu, D. J. Crain, Robert W. Schunk
Effect Of High Latitude Ionospheric Convection On Sun-Aligned Polar Caps, Jan Josef Sojka, Lie Zhu, D. J. Crain, Robert W. Schunk
All Physics Faculty Publications
A coupled magnetospheric-ionospheric (M-I) MHD model has been used to simulate the formation of Sun-aligned polar cap arcs for a variety of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) dependent polar cap convection fields. The formation process involves launching an Alfvén shear wave from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere where the ionospheric conductance can react self-consistently to changes in the upward currents. We assume that the initial Alfvén shear wave is the result of solar wind-magnetosphere interactions. The simulations show how the E region density is affected by the changes in the electron precipitation that are associated with the upward currents. These changes …
An Interplanetary Magnetic Field Dependent Model Of The Ionospheric Convection Electric Field, Jan Josef Sojka, C. E. Rasmussen, Robert W. Schunk
An Interplanetary Magnetic Field Dependent Model Of The Ionospheric Convection Electric Field, Jan Josef Sojka, C. E. Rasmussen, Robert W. Schunk
All Physics Faculty Publications
A mathematical model of the magnetospheric electric field imposed upon the ionosphere is presented. The model provides an interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) dependent description of the magnetospheric electric field at ionospheric altitudes for global ionospheric and thermospheric modelers. Although many theoretical and empirical ionospheric convection models have been published, none give both a quantitative and a general Kp, IMF (Bx , By , Bz) dependent description. The need for such a model is particularly pressing with the success of the Dynamic Explorer (DE) mission. As a result of this mission, extensive data sets of …