Ionospheric Modulation by Storm Time Pc5 ULF Pulsations and the Structure Detected by PFISR‐THEMIS Conjunction

Abstract

We investigate a significant duskside ionospheric density modulation in the Pc5 frequency band and related spatial structures during the storm on 28 May 2017. We take advantage of 3‐D ionospheric observations by the PFISR and simultaneous magnetospheric in situ observations. Inversion of the density suggests that the Pc5 pulsations modulated precipitating electrons over a broad range of energies (~5–500 keV). Such strong electron precipitation likely caused a significant density modulation rate of ~8 and ionospheric Pedersen and Hall conductances to vary rapidly and peaked at ~70–100 S. The reflection coefficient was also substantially modulated between 0.5 and 0.9. Moreover, the observations by the multibeam PFISR and THEMIS E both reveal that the Pc5 pulsations propagated westward in the duskside region. It suggests that quasiperiodic activities in the nightside and subsequent duskward drifts were likely the source of the duskside Pc5 pulsations.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 21, 2020
Source ID
10.1029/2020gl089060

Entities

People

  • Boyi Wang
  • Larry R Lyons
  • Michael Hartinger
  • Nithin Sivadas
  • Roger H Varney
  • Vassilis Angelopoulos
  • Yukitoshi Nishimura

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Boston University
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • National Science Foundation
  • SRI International
  • Space Science Institute
  • University of Alaska System
  • University of California, Los Angeles

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics