TY - JOUR

T1 - Reliability of Matching AMPERE Field‐Aligned Current Boundaries With SuperDARN Lower Latitude Ionospheric Convection Boundaries During Geomagnetic Storms

AU - Walach, M.‐T.

AU - Fogg, A. R.

AU - Coxon, J. C.

AU - Grocott, A.

AU - Milan, S. E.

AU - Sangha, H. K.

AU - McWilliams, K. A.

AU - Vines, S. K.

AU - Lester, M.

AU - Anderson, B. J.

PY - 2025/1/31

Y1 - 2025/1/31

N2 - High‐latitude ionospheric convection is a useful diagnostic of solar wind‐magnetosphere interactions and nightside activity in the magnetotail. For decades, the high‐latitude convection pattern has been mapped using the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), a distribution of ground‐based radars which are capable of measuring line‐of‐sight (l‐o‐s) ionospheric flows. From the l‐o‐s measurements an estimate of the global convection can be obtained. As the SuperDARN coverage is not truly global, it is necessary to constrain the maps when the map fitting is performed. The lower latitude boundary of the convection, known as the Heppner‐Maynard boundary (HMB), provides one such constraint. In the standard SuperDARN fitting, the HMB location is determined directly from the data, but data gaps can make this challenging. In this study we evaluate if the HMB placement can be improved using data from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE), in particular for active time periods when the HMB moves to latitudes below 55 ° $55{}^{\circ}$ . We find that the boundary as defined by SuperDARN and AMPERE are not always co‐located. SuperDARN performs better when the AMPERE currents are very weak (e.g., during non‐active times) and AMPERE can provide a boundary when there is no SuperDARN scatter. Using three geomagnetic storm events, we show that there is agreement between the SuperDARN and AMPERE boundaries but the SuperDARN‐derived convection boundary mostly lies ∼ 3 ° ${\sim} 3{}^{\circ}$ equatorward of the AMPERE‐derived boundary. We find that disagreements primarily arise due to geometrical factors and a time lag in expansions and contractions of the patterns.

AB - High‐latitude ionospheric convection is a useful diagnostic of solar wind‐magnetosphere interactions and nightside activity in the magnetotail. For decades, the high‐latitude convection pattern has been mapped using the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), a distribution of ground‐based radars which are capable of measuring line‐of‐sight (l‐o‐s) ionospheric flows. From the l‐o‐s measurements an estimate of the global convection can be obtained. As the SuperDARN coverage is not truly global, it is necessary to constrain the maps when the map fitting is performed. The lower latitude boundary of the convection, known as the Heppner‐Maynard boundary (HMB), provides one such constraint. In the standard SuperDARN fitting, the HMB location is determined directly from the data, but data gaps can make this challenging. In this study we evaluate if the HMB placement can be improved using data from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE), in particular for active time periods when the HMB moves to latitudes below 55 ° $55{}^{\circ}$ . We find that the boundary as defined by SuperDARN and AMPERE are not always co‐located. SuperDARN performs better when the AMPERE currents are very weak (e.g., during non‐active times) and AMPERE can provide a boundary when there is no SuperDARN scatter. Using three geomagnetic storm events, we show that there is agreement between the SuperDARN and AMPERE boundaries but the SuperDARN‐derived convection boundary mostly lies ∼ 3 ° ${\sim} 3{}^{\circ}$ equatorward of the AMPERE‐derived boundary. We find that disagreements primarily arise due to geometrical factors and a time lag in expansions and contractions of the patterns.

KW - Heppner‐Maynard boundary

KW - field‐aligned current boundary

KW - convection boundary

KW - SuperDARN

KW - AMPERE

KW - geomagnetic storms

U2 - 10.1029/2024ja033253

DO - 10.1029/2024ja033253

M3 - Journal article

VL - 130

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

SN - 2169-9402

IS - 1

M1 - e2024JA033253

ER -