Rights statement: Accepted for publication in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. Copyright 2020 American Geophysical Union. Further reproduction or electronic distribution is not permitted.
Accepted author manuscript, 2.45 MB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Final published version, 3.66 MB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Convection in the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System
T2 - a Multi-Mission Survey of its Response to IMF By Reversals
AU - Case, Nathan
AU - Grocott, Adrian
AU - Fear, R.C.
AU - Haaland, Stein
AU - Lane, James
PY - 2020/10/13
Y1 - 2020/10/13
N2 - Past studies have demonstrated that the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By component introduces asymmetries in the magnetosphere‐ionosphere (M‐I) system, though the exact timings involved are still unclear with two distinct mechanisms proposed. In this study, we statistically analyze convective flows from three regions of the M‐I system: the magnetospheric lobes, the plasma sheet, and the ionosphere. We perform superposed epoch analyses on the convective flows in response to reversals in the IMF By orientation, to determine the flow response timescales of these regions. We find that the lobes respond quickly and reconfigure to the new IMF By state within 30–40 min. The plasma sheet flows, however, do not show a clear response to the IMF By reversal, at least within 4 hr postreversal. The ionospheric data, measured by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), match their counterpart magnetospheric flows, with clear and prompt responses at ≥75° magnetic latitude (MLAT) but a less pronounced response at 60–70 MLAT. We discuss the potential implication of these results on the mechanisms for introducing the IMF By component into the M‐I system.
AB - Past studies have demonstrated that the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By component introduces asymmetries in the magnetosphere‐ionosphere (M‐I) system, though the exact timings involved are still unclear with two distinct mechanisms proposed. In this study, we statistically analyze convective flows from three regions of the M‐I system: the magnetospheric lobes, the plasma sheet, and the ionosphere. We perform superposed epoch analyses on the convective flows in response to reversals in the IMF By orientation, to determine the flow response timescales of these regions. We find that the lobes respond quickly and reconfigure to the new IMF By state within 30–40 min. The plasma sheet flows, however, do not show a clear response to the IMF By reversal, at least within 4 hr postreversal. The ionospheric data, measured by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), match their counterpart magnetospheric flows, with clear and prompt responses at ≥75° magnetic latitude (MLAT) but a less pronounced response at 60–70 MLAT. We discuss the potential implication of these results on the mechanisms for introducing the IMF By component into the M‐I system.
KW - IMF By
KW - reversals
KW - lobes
KW - plasma sheet
KW - ionosphere
KW - convection
U2 - 10.1029/2019JA027541
DO - 10.1029/2019JA027541
M3 - Journal article
VL - 125
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
SN - 2169-9402
IS - 10
M1 - e2019JA027541
ER -