Bibliography

Global Effects of a Polar Solar Eclipse on the Coupled Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System

It is well-known that solar eclipses can significantly impact the ionosphere and thermosphere, but how an eclipse influences the magnetosphere-ionosphere system is still unknown. Using a coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere model, we examined the impact on geospace of the northern polar-region eclipse that occurred on June 10, 2021. The simulations reveal that the eclipse-induced reduction in polar ionospheric conductivity causes large changes in field-aligned current, cross-polar cap potential and auroral activity. While such effects are expected in the northern hemisphere where solar obscuration occurred, they also occurred in the southern hemisphere through electrodynamic coupling. Eclipse-induced changes in monoenergetic auroral precipitation differ significantly between the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere while diffuse auroral precipitation is interhemispherically symmetric. This study demonstrates that the geospace response to a polar-region solar eclipse is not limited just to the eclipse region but has global implications.

Chen, Xuetao; Dang, Tong; Zhang, Binzheng; Lotko, William; Pham, Kevin; Wang, Wenbin; Lin, Dong; Sorathia, Kareem; Merkin, Viacheslav; Luan, Xiaoli; Dou, Xiankang; Luo, Bingxian; Lei, Jiuhou;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on:

YEAR: 2021     DOI: 10.1029/2021GL096471

auroral activity; magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling; polar solar eclipse

Electron precipitation models in global magnetosphere simulations

General methods for improving the specification of electron precipitation in global simulations are described and implemented in the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) global simulation model, and the quality of its predictions for precipitation is assessed. LFM\textquoterights existing diffuse and monoenergetic electron precipitation models are improved, and new models are developed for lower energy, broadband, and direct-entry cusp precipitation. The LFM simulation results for combined diffuse plus monoenergetic electron precipitation exhibit a quadratic increase in the hemispheric precipitation power as the intensity of solar wind driving increases, in contrast with the prediction from the OVATION Prime (OP) 2010 empirical precipitation model which increases linearly with driving intensity. Broadband precipitation power increases approximately linearly with driving intensity in both models. Comparisons of LFM and OP predictions with estimates of precipitating power derived from inversions of Polar satellite UVI images during a double substorm event (28\textendash29 March 1998) show that the LFM peak precipitating power is \>4\texttimes larger when using the improved precipitation model and most closely tracks the larger of three different inversion estimates. The OP prediction most closely tracks the double peaks in the intermediate inversion estimate, but it overestimates the precipitating power between the two substorms by a factor \>2 relative to all other estimates. LFMs polar pattern of precipitating energy flux tracks that of OP for broadband precipitation exhibits good correlation with duskside region 1 currents for monoenergetic energy flux that OP misses and fails to produce sufficient diffuse precipitation power in the prenoon quadrant that is present in OP. The prenoon deficiency is most likely due to the absence of drift kinetic physics in the LFM simulation.

Zhang, B.; Lotko, W.; Brambles, O.; Wiltberger, M.; Lyon, J.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 02/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020615

electron precipitation; global magnetosphere simulation; magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling