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NASA NTRS1996

Ring Current Development During Storm Main Phase

The development of the ring current ions in the inner magnetosphere during the main phase of a magnetic storm is studied. The temporal and spatial evolution of the ion phase space densities in a dipole field are calculated using a three dimensional ring current model, considering charge exchange and Coulomb losses along drift paths. The simulation starts with a quiet time distribution. The model is tested by comparing calculated ion fluxes with Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/CCE measurement during the storm main phase on May 2, 1986. Most of the calculated omnidirectional fluxes are in good agreement with the data except on the dayside inner edge (L less than 2.5) of the ring current, where the ion fluxes are underestimated. The model also reproduces the measured pitch angle distributions of ions with energies below 10 keV. At higher energy, an additional diffusion in pitch angle is necessary in order to fit the data. The role of the induced electric field on the ring current dynamics is also examined by simulating a series of substorm activities represented by stretching and collapsing the magnetic field lines. In response to the impulsively changing fields, the calculated ion energy content fluctuates about a mean value that grows steadily with the enhanced quiescent field.

Fok, Mei-Ching↗

NASA NTRS1978

The Tordo 1 polar cusp barium plasma injection experiment

In January 1975, two barium plasma injection experiments were carried out with rockets launched into the upper atmosphere where field lines from the dayside cusp region intersect the ionosphere. The Tordo 1 experiment took place near the beginning of a worldwide magnetic storm. It became a polar cap experiment almost immediately as convection perpendicular to the magnetic field moved the fluorescent plasma jet away from the cusp across the polar cap in an antisunward direction. Convection across the polar cap with an average velocity of more than 1 km/s was observed for nearly 40 min until the barium flux tubes encountered large electron fields associated with a poleward bulge of the auroral oval near Greenland. Prior to the encounter with the aurora near Greenland there is evidence of upward acceleration of the barium ions while they were in the polar cap. The three-dimensional observations of the plasma orientation and motion give an insight into convection from the cusp region across the polar cap, the orientation of the polar cap magnetic field lines out to several earth radii, the causes of polar cap magnetic perturbations, and parallel acceleration processes.

Wescott, E. M.↗

NASA NTRS1986

On the loss of O(+) ions (less than 17 keV/e) in the ring current during the recovery phase of a storm

ISEE-1 observations of magnetospheric H(+) and O(+) ions at 0.01-17.4 keV/e during the recovery phase of the magnetic storm of December 11, 1977 are reported. The data are presented graphically and analyzed in detail. It is found that the phase-space density of H(+) in the magnetotail remained about the same during the recovery, while that of O(+) decreased steadily, and the loss of low-energy O(+) from the outer ring current is attributed to inward convection of the decreasing density in the tail.

Cladis, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The response of the thermospheric nitric oxide to an auroral storm. I - Low and middle latitudes

The response of low- and mid-latitude NO to the September 19, 1984 magnetic storm is studied. In particular, the effect of variations in the temperature and composition of the lower thermosphere on NO is investigated. Much of the observed NO response is adequately explained by including these variations in a photochemical model. In particular, Joule heating at auroral latitudes can cause temperature enhancements at nonauroral latitudes, which in turn can lead directly to an increase in the NO. The NO is most directly sensitive to heating at altitude above 120 km. Below 120 km, NO increased through downward diffusion from above. Sensitivity studies were performed to investigate the effect that uncertainties in the NO chemical scheme and in the state of the neutral atmosphere can have on the comparison of the model to the data. It is shown that the best fit to the midlatitude American orbit data is for O/O2 ratio twice that in the original TGCM simulation and for an N(2D) quenching value of 5 x 10 to the -13th.

Siskind, D. E.↗

NASA NTRS1965

The earth's magnetic field.

Earth magnetic field including mathematical descriptions, origin, daily magnetic variations, polar and auroral disturbances, magnetic storms, activity indices and whistlers

MAGNETIC VARIATION↗

NASA NTRS1973

Field-aligned currents, plasma waves, and anomalous resistivity in the disturbed polar cusp.

During the magnetic storm of November 1, 1968, the Ogo 5 spacecraft encountered the polar cusp region at low magnetic latitudes. We show that the region just outside the last closed field lines contained a warm magnetosheath plasma, magnetic field perturbations interpretable as field-aligned current layers, and electrostatic waves possibly due to plasma instabilities driven by these currents. Estimates of anomalous resistivity extrapolated along the field lines due to these electrostatic waves lead to estimates of field-aligned potential drops between Ogo 5 and the ionosphere on the order of 2 kV.

Fredricks, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Magnetospheric boundary dynamics - DE 1 and DE 2 observations near the magnetopause and cusp

Results are presented of a detailed analysis of plasma and field measurements taken close in time by the DE 1 and DE 2 satellites during the September 6, 1982 magnetic storm. High-altitude data show that, during the storm, the DE 1 satellite entered the magnetosheath by crossing a magnetopause with a large normal magnetic field component, and data from DE 2 show a well-defined cusp current system occurring on open magnetic field lines. The interactions of the solar wind/IMF with the magnetosphere low-altitude signatures of the magnetopause that most adequately explain the high-altitude observations of DE 1 and the near-earth cusp observations of DE 2 are considered, and the relationship between the measurements made by the two satellites are discussed.

Maynard, N. C.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The causes of geomagnetic storms during solar maximum

One of the oldest mysteries in geomagnetism is the linkage between solar and geomagnetic activity. In investigating the causes of geomagnetic storms occurring during solar maximum, the following topics are discussed: solar phenomena; types of solar wind; magnetic reconnection and magnetic storms; an interplanetary example; and future space physics missions.

Tsurutani, Bruce T.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Ionospheric response to the sustained high geomagnetic activity during the March '89 great storm

A simulation was conducted to model the high-latitude ionospheric to the sustaied level of high geomagnetic activity for the great magnetic storm period of March 13-14, 1989. The geomagnetic and solar activity indices and the Defense Meterological Satellite Program (DMSP) F8 and F9 satellite data for particle precipitation and high-latitude convection were used as inputs to a time-dependent ionospheric model (TDIM). The results of the TDIM were compared to both DMSP plasma density data and ground-based total electron content (TEC) measurements for the great storm period as well as with earlier storm observations. The comparisons show that the overall structure of the high-latitude ionosphere was dominated by an increased convection speed within the polar cap that led to increased ion temperatures. In turn, this enhanced the NO(+) density, raised the atomic-to-molecular ion transition height to over 300 km, decreased N(sub m)F(sub 2), increased h(sub m)F(sub 2), and in places either increased n(sub e) at 800 km or slightly decreased it. The morphology of the ionosphere under these extreme conditions was considerably different than that modeled for less distributed intervals. These differences included the character of the dayside tongue of ionization that no longer extended deep into the polar cap. Instead, as a result of the ion heating and consequent reduction in N(sub m)F(sub 2), a large polar hole occupied much of the polar region. This polar hole extended beyond the auroral oval and merged with the night sector midatitude trough. The limitaions associated with the applicability of the TDIM to the geomagnetic conditions present on March 13 and 14 are discussed. The primary limitations of the TDIM derive from the limited temporal resolution of the model input parameters and the lack of suitably dynamic thermospheric specification for the great storm conditions. These limitations leads to midlatitude ionospheric storm phases that do no follow those observed.

Sojka, J. J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Circulation of the Plasmasphere Fluid during the Erosion Event on September 8, 2017

A strong solar wind pressure pulse triggered the magnetic storm on September 7, 2017. Near the end of September 7, the z-component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF Bz) dropped from 9 to -10 nT in 30 min. The IMF Bz remained at the level of -10 nT for 2 hours and then had another rapid drop to -31 nT in 30 min. The sudden plunge of IMF Bz and the associated strong convection electric field stirred up the storm main phase with Dst falling from 0 to -122 nT from 2200 UT on September 7 to 0200 UT on the 8th. Severe plasmasphere erosion was observed on September 8 by multiple spacecraft, such as the Van Allen Probes and the Arase satellite. In this study, we examine the fate of the eroded plasmasphere particles during this event by model simulation as well as satellite data analysis. The simulation tool we use is the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF)/Block-Adaptive Tree Solarwind Roe-type Upwind Scheme (BATS-R-US) model coupled with the Comprehensive Inner Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (CIMI) model. One of the distinctive capabilities of the SWMF/BATSRUS-CIMI model is that it treats the cold plasmas in the plasmasphere as a separate fluid in the MHD equations. As a result, the transport and circulation of the plasmasphere fluid in the global magnetosphere can be traced and the impacts of this cold fluid on the global magnetosphere can be evaluated. In this paper, we will show how the drainage plume is formed during the storm and how the plasmasphere fluid is transported to the flank and lobe regions and eventually to the plasma sheet and reenters into the plasmasphere. We will validate our simulation by plasmasphere signatures observed in both the inner and outer magnetosphere.

Mei-Ching Fok↗

NASA NTRS1973

ELF observations during the December 1971 storm.

Initial results from the University of Minnesota search coil magnetometers aboard the Explorer 45 Satellite show several types of ELF signals during the magnetic storms of Dec. 16-19, 1971. The orbit of the satellite at this time was nearly equatorial, with an apogee near 5 earth radii at 2100 local time, and a perigee below 300 km. The emissions vary during different phases of the storms and also with the position of the spacecraft in the magnetosphere. The location of the plasmapause appears to be a particularly important factor in determining the type and intensity of the signals.

Parady, B.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Response of the Earth's Magnetosphere to Changes in the Solar Wind

The solar wind couples to the magnetosphere via dynamic pressure and electric field. Pressure establishes the size and shape of the system, while the electric field transfers energy, mass, and momentum to the magnetosphere. When the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is antiparallel to the dayside magnetic field, magnetic reconnection connects the IMF to the dipole field. Solar wind transport of the newly opened field lines to the nightside creates an internal convection system. These open field lines must ultimately be closed by reconnection on the nightside. For many decades, it was thought that a magnetospheric substorm was the process for accomplishing this and that all magnetic activity was a consequence of substorms. It is now recognized that there are a variety of modes of response of the magnetosphere to the solar wind. In this paper, we briefly describe these modes and the conditions under which they occur. They include substorms, pseudo-breakups, poleward boundary intensifications (PBI), steady magnetospheric convection (SMC), sawtooth injection events, magnetic storms, high-intensity long-duration continuous AE activities (HILDCAAs), and storm-time activations. There are numerous explanations for these different phenomena, some of which do not involve magnetic reconnection. However, we speculate that it is possible to interpret each mode in terms of differences in the way magnetic reconnection occurs on the nightside.

McPherron, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Statistical study of enhanced ion fluxes in the outer plasmasphere

DE-1 measurements of ion outflows at E = 5 eV to 32 keV in the Northern Hemisphere outer plasmasphere are compiled in graphs and investigated statistically. The data comprise 40 dayside (6:00-12:00 magnetic local time) and 50 nightside (18:00-23:00) passages at magnetic activities Kp = 0-7 and include six magnetic storms and recoveries as well as quiet periods. Features noted include enhanced number fluxes during periods of increased magnetic activity, upward dayside and downward nightside flows, peak net H(+) fluxes greater than 10 to the 8th/sq cm sec, and greater field-aligned flows (but at lower ion temperatures) in the outer plasmasphere than in the plasma trough.

Menietti, J. D.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Dayside Ionospheric Superfountain

The Dayside Ionospheric Super-fountain modified SAMI2 code predicts the uplift, given storm-time electric fields, of the dayside near-equatorial ionosphere to heights of over 800 kilometers during magnetic storm intervals. This software is a simple 2D code developed over many years at the Naval Research Laboratory, and has importance relating to accuracy of GPS positioning, and for satellite drag.

Tsurutani, Bruce T.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Some characteristics of low-frequency oscillations observed at ATS 1.

Analysis of low-frequency oscillations of the magnetic field at ATS 1 for the 25-month data interval from December 1966 to December 1968. Irregular oscillations and oscillations associated with magnetic storms were excluded from the analysis. Of the 222 events identified, 170 events were oscillating predominantly transverse to the background magnetic field. The oscillations were observed to occur most frequently in the early afternoon hours. They also seemed to occur more frequently during December, January, and February than at other times of the year. During a given individual event the frequency was fairly constant and it varied between .0015 and .02 Hz with a broad peak near .01 Hz. The event duration varied between a minimum of 10 min and a maximum of 14 hours and 26 min. During a given event the amplitude varied. The average maximum amplitude of an event was about 3 gamma.

Cummings, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1971

Geomagnetic storm fields near a synchronous satellite.

An apparent early recovery of the main phase of geomagnetic storms at the distance of the synchronous satellite is examined in terms of changing electric current distributions in the magnetosphere during magnetic storms. It is suggested that a rapid recession of the edge of the plasma sheet (after the advance toward the earth during an early epoch of the main phase) is partly responsible for the early recovery. Relevant plasma sheet variations during geomagnetic storms are found to be in agreement with the inferred variations.

Kawasaki, K.↗

NASA NTRS1996

(abstract) Using GPS Measurements to Identify Global Ionospheric Storms in Near Real-Time

The solar wind interacts with the Earth's magnetosphere, eventually dissipating energy into the ionosphere and atmosphere. As a terminator, the ionosphere responds to magnetic storms, which is very important in understanding the energy coupling process between the Sun and the Earth and in forecasting space weather changes.The worldwide GPS network, for the first time, makes near real-time global ionospheric TEC measurements a possibility. Based on these measurements, global ionospheric TEC maps are generated with time resolution of from 5 minutes to hours. Using these maps, we can analyze the global evolution of ionospheric storms on temporal and spatial scales, which have been dificult to study before. We find that for certain types of storms (such as TID-driven), it is possible to identify them near onset and issue warning signals during the early stages. Main attention has been paid on northern hemispheric winter storms. Their common features and physical mechanisms are being investigated.

solar wind magnetospheres GPS ionosphere atmospher↗

NASA NTRS1976

Study of low frequency hydromagnetic waves using ATS-1 data

Low frequency oscillations of the magnetic field at ATS-1 were analyzed for the 25 month data interval, Dec., 1966 through 1968. Irregular oscillations and those associated with magnetic storms were excluded from the analysis. Of the 222 events identified, 170 were found to be oscillating predominantly transverse to the background magnetic field. The oscillations were observed to occur most frequently in the early afternoon hours. They also seemed to occur more frequently during Dec., Jan., and Feb. than at any other time of the year. During a given event, the frequency was fairly constant. The event duration varied between a minimum of 10 min. and a maximum of 14 hrs and 26 min. During a given event the amplitude varied.

Cummings, W. D.↗