Bibliography

Determination of Auroral Electrodynamic Parameters From AMPERE Field-Aligned Current Measurements

We calculate high latitude electrodynamic parameters using global maps of field-aligned currents from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Response Experiment (AMPERE). The model is based on previous studies that relate field-aligned currents to auroral Pedersen and Hall conductances measured by incoherent scatter radar. The field-aligned currents and conductances are used to solve for the electric potential at high latitudes from which electric fields are computed. The electric fields are then used with the conductances to calculate horizontal ionospheric currents. We validate the results by simulating the SuperMAG magnetic indices for 30 geomagnetically active days. The correlation coefficients between derived and actual magnetic indices were 0.68, 0.76, and 0.84 for the SMU, SML, and SME indices, respectively. We show examples of times when the simulations differ markedly from the measured indices and attribute them to either small-scale, substorm-related current structures or the effects of neutral winds. Overall, the performance of the model demonstrates that with few exceptions, auroral electrodynamic parameters can be accurately deduced from the global field-aligned current distribution provided by AMPERE.

Robinson, R.; Zanetti, Larry; Anderson, Brian; Vines, Sarah; Gjerloev, Jesper;

Published by: Space Weather      Published on:

YEAR: 2021     DOI: 10.1029/2020SW002677

space weather; auroral currents; auroral electrodynamics; conductivities; electric fields; field-aligned currents

Global patterns of Joule heating in the high-latitude ionosphere

A compiled empirical global Joule heating (CEJH) model is described in this study. This model can be used to study Joule heating patterns, Joule heating power, potential drop, and polar potential size in the high-latitude ionosphere and thermosphere, and their variations with solar wind conditions, geomagnetic activities, the solar EUV radiation, and the neutral wind. It is shown that the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation and its magnitude, the solar wind speed, AL index, geomagnetic K_p index, and solar radio flux F_10.7 index are important parameters that control Joule heating patterns, Joule heating power, potential drop, and polar potential size. Other parameters, such as the solar wind number density (N_sw) and Earth\textquoterights dipole tilt, do not significantly affect these quantities. It is also shown that the neutral wind can increase or reduce the Joule heating production, and its effectiveness mainly depends on the IMF orientation and its magnitude, the solar wind speed, AL index, K_p index, and F_10.7 index. Our results indicate that for less disturbed solar wind conditions, the increase or reduction of the neutral wind contribution to the Joule heating is not significant compared to the convection Joule heating, whereas under extreme solar wind conditions, the neutral wind can significantly contribute to the Joule heating. Application of the CEJH model to the 16 July 2000 storm implies that the model outputs are basically consistent with the results from the AMIE mapping procedure. The CEJH model can be used to examine large-scale energy deposition during disturbed solar wind conditions and to study the dependence of the hemispheric Joule heating on the level of geomagnetic activities and the intensity of solar EUV radiation. This investigation enables us to predict global Joule heating patterns for other models in the high-latitude ionosphere and thermosphere in the sense of space weather forecasting.

Zhang, X.; Wang, C.; Chen, T.; Wang, Y.; Tan, A.; Wu, T.; Germany, G.; Wang, W.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research      Published on: 12*2005

YEAR: 2005     DOI: 10.1029/2005JA011222

electric fields; magnetosphere/ionosphere interaction; Modeling and forecasting; particle precipitation; polar cap ionosphere; solar radiation and cosmic ray effects