Investigating Ionospheric Heat Sources and Resultant Thermospheric Responses
Abstract
During this project, the team conducted detailed investigations on various complex geophysical processes occurring in the coupled system of solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere (SW-M-I-T). The main goal was to unravel some of the physical processes that (i) underlie the development of localized neutral density increases and (ii) occur in the coupled SW-M-I-T system in order to better understand how and where the heat sources fueling upwelling and leading to localized neutral density increases developed. By utilizing the innovative methodologies of interplanetary magnetic field parameterization and flow channel (FC) classification, they were able to investigate various geophysical processes that had not been understood well and/or been less investigated. The geophysical processes investigated occurred at various geomagnetic activity levels, ranging from moderate storms to superstorms, and sometimes were driven by solar-wind Alfven waves propagating away from the sun. Their new results and findings have led to the unravelling of near-pole electromagnetic energy deposition via various types of FCs, ASAID development during magnetically quiet times, and large sub-auroral polarization streams (SAPS) FC development under superstorm conditions. Highlighted are first ASAID detections by utilizing polar data and first demonstrations of large-scale TIDs enhancing SAPS FCs and SAPS_WS (i.e., the structured version of SAPS). These new results and finding contribute to the better understanding of many basic geophysical processes by explaining fundamental multiple inter-relationships and configurations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 11, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1109142
Entities
People
- Ildiko Horvath
Organizations
- University of Queensland