Physics Commons^™

The Global Ionosphere-Polar Wind System During Changing Magnetic Activity, Robert W. Schunk, Jan Josef Sojka

All Physics Faculty Publications

A time-dependent, three-dimensional, multi-ion model of the global ionosphere-polar wind system was used to study the system's response to an idealized geomagnetic storm for different seasonal and solar cycle conditions. The model covered the altitude range from 90 to 9000 km for latitudes greater than 50° magnetic in the northern hemisphere. The geomagnetic storm contained a 1-hour growth phase, a 1-hour main phase, and a 4-hour decay phase. Four storm simulations were conducted, corresponding to winter and summer solstices at both solar maximum and minimum. The simulations indicated the following: (1) O⁺ upflows typically occur in the cusp and …