Coordinated Radar, Optical and Satellite Analysis of Plasma Sheet Subauroral Ionospheric Coupling via Meso Scale Flow Channels
Abstract
The subauroral ionosphere is a critical region with structure and dynamics controlled by coupling processes with the magnetosphere. While the subauroral ionosphere is often described as slowly-varying structures in the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, dynamical processes influenced by auroral/plasma sheet transients are suggested to largely contribute to currents and flow speeds in the subauroral ionosphere much more rapidly. The goal of this investigation is to quantitatively determine how plasma sheet flow channels affect subauroral density and flow dynamics for extending our understanding of the subauroral ionosphere beyond the current quasi-steady picture and towards a much more dynamic coupling with the magnetosphere via meso-scale flow channels at auroral-to-subauroral latitudes. During the year-2 investigation, we investigated the relation between subauroral flow structures and subauroral discrete arc using SuperDARN, DMSP and all-sky imagers. We found that subauroral ion drifts can be visualized by the subauroral arc, and that substorm injections control the timing and location of subauroral ion drifts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 20, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1060785
Entities
People
- Lawrence Lyons
- Yukitoshi Nishimura
Organizations
- University of California