Statistical survey of nighttime midlatitude magnetic fluctuations: Their source location and Poynting flux as derived from the Swarm constellation
Abstract
This is the first statistical survey of field fluctuations related with medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs), which considers magnetic field, electric field, and plasma density variations at the same time. Midlatitude electric fluctuations (MEFs) and midlatitude magnetic fluctuations (MMFs) observed in the nighttime topside ionosphere have generally been attributed to MSTIDs. Although the topic has been studied for several decades, statistical studies of the Poynting flux related with MEF/MMF/MSTID have not yet been conducted. In this study we make use of electric/magnetic field and plasma density observations by the European Space Agency's Swarm constellation to address the statistical behavior of the Poynting flux. We have found that (1) the Poynting flux is directed mainly from the summer to winter hemisphere, (2) its magnitude is larger before midnight than thereafter, and (3) the magnitude is not well correlated with fluctuation level of in situ plasma density. These results are discussed in the context of previous studies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1002/2016ja023408
Entities
People
- Claudia Stolle
- D. J. Knudsen
- H. Lühr
- J. K. Burchill
- Jaeheung Park
- Juan Rodriguez‐zuluaga
- Young‐sil Kwak
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory
- Canadian Space Agency
- GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences
- Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
- Korea University of Science and Technology
- University of Calgary
- University of Potsdam