L. Juusola

One-dimensional spherical elementary current systems and their use for determining ionospheric currents from satellite measurements

The method of 1D spherical elementary current systems (SECS) is a new way for determining ionospheric and field-aligned currents in spherical geometry from magnetic field measurements made by a low-orbit satellite. In contrast to earlier methods, the full ionospheric current distribution, including both divergence-free and curl-free horizontal currents, as well as field-aligned currents, can be determined. Placing infinitely many 2D SECSs of identical amplitudes at a constant latitude results in two types of 1D SECSs, which are independent of longitude, and by superposition can reproduce any ionospheric and field-aligned current system with the same property. One type of the 1D SECSs is divergence-free and toroidal with a poloidal magnetic field, and the other type is curl-free and poloidal. Associated with the divergence of the curl-free type are radial currents. The magnetic field of the combined curl-free 1D SECS and field-aligned currents is toroidal and restricted to the region above the ionosphere. Ionospheric currents are determined by placing several 1D SECSs at different latitudes and choosing their amplitudes in such a way that their combined magnetic field as closely as possible fits the one measured by the satellite. The 1D SECS method has been tested using both modeled and real data from the CHAMP satellite, and found to work excellently in 1D cases.

Interplanetary magnetic field control of the ionospheric field‐aligned current and convection distributions

Patterns of the high-latitude ionospheric convection and field-aligned current (FAC) are a manifestation of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. By observing them we can acquire information on magnetopause reconnection, a process through which solar wind energy enters the magnetosphere. We use over 10 years of magnetic field and convection data from the CHAMP satellite and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network radars, respectively, to display combined distributions of the FACs and convection for different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations and amplitudes. During southward IMF, convection follows the established two-cell pattern with associated Region 1 and Region 2 FACs, indicating subsolar reconnection. During northward IMF, superposed on a weak two-cell pattern there is a reversed two-cell pattern with associated Region 0 and Region 1 FACs on the dayside, indicating lobe reconnection. For dominant IMF Bx, the sign of Bz determines whether lobe or subsolar reconnection signatures will be observed, but Bx will weaken the signatures compared to pure northward or southward IMF. When the IMF rotates from northward to duskward or dawnward, the distinct reversed and forward two-cell patterns start to merge into a distorted two-cell pattern. This is in agreement with the IMF By displacing the reconnection location from the open lobe field lines to closed dawn or dusk field lines, even though IMF Bz>0. As the IMF continues to rotate southward, the distorted pattern transforms smoothly to that of the symmetric two-cell pattern. While the IMF direction determines the configuration of the FACs and convection, the IMF amplitude affects their intensity.

High-latitude ionospheric equivalent currents during strong space storms: Regional perspective

Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) are a space weather phenomenon that can interfere with power transmission and even cause blackouts. The primary drivers of GIC can be represented as ionospheric equivalent currents. We used International Monitor for Auroral Geomagnetic Effects (IMAGE) magnetometer data from 1994–2013 to analyze the extreme behavior of the time derivative of the equivalent current density (|ΔJeq|/Δt) together with the occurrence of modeled GIC in the European high-voltage power grids (1996–2008). Typically, when intense |ΔJeq|/Δt occurred, geomagnetic activity extended to latitudes 60°. In such cases, typically 5≤Kp<8, and modeling suggested that there were no large GIC in the European high-voltage power grids. Intense |ΔJeq|/Δt and GIC occurred preferentially before midnight or at dawn and were rare after noon. There was a seasonal peak in October and a minimum around midsummer. Intense |ΔJeq|/Δt and GIC occurred preferentially in the declining phase of the solar cycle and were rare around solar minima. A longer perspective (1975–2013) was obtained by comparison with the time derivative of the magnetic field from the IMAGE station Nurmijarvi (NUR, MLAT ∼57°). NUR data indicated that the quietness of summer months may have been due to a coincidental lack of intense storms during the shorter period. NUR data agreed with the increased activity in the declining phase but demonstrated that extreme events could also occur during solar minima.

Substorm evolution of auroral structures

Auroral arcs are often associated with magnetically quiet time and substorm growth phases. We have studied the evolution of auroral structures during global and local magnetic activity to investigate the occurrence rate of auroral arcs during different levels of magnetic activity. The ground-magnetic and auroral conditions are described by the magnetometer and auroral camera data from five Magnetometers — Ionospheric radars — All-sky cameras Large Experiment stations in Finnish and Swedish Lapland. We identified substorm growth, expansion, and recovery phases from the local electrojet index (IL) in 1996–2007 and analyzed the auroral structures during the different phases. Auroral structures were also analyzed during different global magnetic activity levels, as described by the planetary Kp index. The distribution of auroral structures for all substorm phases and Kp levels is of similar shape. About one third of all detected structures are auroral arcs. This suggests that auroral arcs occur in all conditions as the main element of the aurora. The most arc-dominated substorm phases occur in the premidnight sector, while the least arc-dominated substorm phases take place in the dawn sector. Arc event lifetimes and expectation times calculated for different substorm phases show that the longest arc-dominated periods are found during growth phases, while the longest arc waiting times occur during expansion phases. Most of the arc events end when arcs evolve to more complex structures. This is true for all substorm phases. Based on the number of images of auroral arcs and the durations of substorm phases, we conclude that a randomly selected auroral arc most likely belongs to a substorm expansion phase. A small time delay, of the order of a minute, is observed between the magnetic signature of the substorm onset (i.e., the beginning of the negative bay) and the auroral breakup (i.e., the growth phase arc changing into a dynamic display). The magnetic onset was observed to precede the structural change in the auroral display. A longer delay of a few minutes was found between the beginning of the growth phase and the first detected auroral structure.

Ionospheric Conductances and Currents of a Morning-Sector Auroral Arc From Swarm-A Electric and Magnetic Field Measurements†

We show the first ionospheric Hall and Pedersen conductances derived from Swarm magnetic and electric field measurements during a crossing of a morning sector auroral arc. Only Swarm-A was used, with assumptions of negligible azimuthal gradients and vanishing eastward electric field. We find upward field-aligned current, enhanced Hall and Pedersen conductances, and relatively weak electric field coincident with the arc. Poleward of the arc the field-aligned current was downward, conductances lower, and the electric field enhanced. The arc was embedded in a westward electrojet, immediately equatorward of the peak current density. The equatorward portion of the electrojet could thus be considered conductance dominant and the poleward portion electric field dominant. Although the electric field measured by Swarm was intense, resulting in conductances lower than those typically reported, comparable electric fields have been observed earlier. These results demonstrate how Swarm data can significantly contribute to our understanding of the ionospheric electrodynamics.

Solar wind control of ionospheric equivalent currents and their time derivatives

A solid understanding of the solar wind control of ground magnetic field disturbances is essential for utilizing the existing long time series of ground data to obtain information on solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. We have used 20 years of International Monitor for Auroral Geomagnetic Effects magnetometer data (54°–76° magnetic latitude) to study the solar wind control of the ionospheric equivalent current density and its time derivative ( ). We found that peaks at the premidnight and prenoon ends of the westward electrojet. The prenoon peak was most intense during fast solar wind and radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The location of the peak was not affected by the IMF orientation but persisted at 8–10 magnetic local time and 70°–75° latitude, near the boundary between the westward and eastward electrojets. Sensitivity of this boundary to disturbances was suggested as a possible explanation for the persistent prenoon location of the peak. The premidnight peak was most intense during southward IMF orientation. While faster solar wind mainly resulted in more intense in the premidnight sector, stronger IMF caused the region of intense to spread to the postmidnight, dawn, and dusk sectors. A good correspondence was found between development of the nightside intensification and average substorm bulge and oval aurora as determined by Gjerloev et al. (2007). The bulge aurora covered the western end of the westward electrojet where the equivalent current also had a significant poleward component. The substorm oval aurora, on the other hand, extended eastward along the westward electrojet.

Ion Acceleration by Flux Transfer Events in the Terrestrial Magnetosheath

We report ion acceleration by flux transfer events in the terrestrial magnetosheath in a global two-dimensional hybrid-Vlasov polar plane simulation of Earth’s solar wind interaction. In the model we find that propagating flux transfer events created in magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause drive fast-mode bow waves in the magnetosheath, which accelerate ions in the shocked solar wind flow. The acceleration at the bow waves is caused by a shock drift-like acceleration process under stationary solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field upstream conditions. Thus, the energization is not externally driven but results from plasma dynamics within the magnetosheath. Energetic proton populations reach the energy of 30 keV, and their velocity distributions resemble time-energy dispersive ion injections observed by the Cluster spacecraft in the magnetosheath.

Swarm Satellite and EISCAT Radar Observations of a Plasma Flow Channel in the Auroral Oval Near Magnetic Midnight

We present Swarm satellite and EISCAT radar observations of electrodynamical parameters in the midnight sector at high latitudes. The most striking feature is a plasma flow channel located equatorw ...

Foreshock Properties at Typical and Enhanced Interplanetary Magnetic Field Strengths: Results From Hybrid‐Vlasov Simulations

In this paper, we present a detailed study of the effects of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength on the foreshock properties at small and large scales. Two simulation runs performed with the hybrid-Vlasov code Vlasiator with identical setup but with different IMF strengths, namely, 5 and 10 nT, are compared. We find that the bow shock position and shape are roughly identical in both runs, due to the quasi-radial IMF orientation, in agreement with previous magnetohydrodynamic simulations and theory. Foreshock waves develop in a broader region in the higher IMF strength run, which we attribute to the larger growth rate of the waves. The velocity of field-aligned beams remains essentially the same, but their density is generally lower when the IMF strength increases, due to the lower Mach number. Also, we identify in the regular IMF strength run ridges of suprathermal ions which disappear at higher IMF strength. These structures may be a new signature of the foreshock compressional boundary. The foreshock wave field is structured over smaller scales in higher IMF conditions, due to both the period of the foreshock waves and the transverse extent of the wave fronts being smaller. While the foreshock is mostly permeated by monochromatic waves at typical IMF strength, we find that magnetosonic waves at different frequencies coexist in the other run. They are generated by multiple beams of suprathermal ions, while only a single beam is observed at typical IMF strength. The consequences of these differences for solar wind-magnetosphere coupling are discussed. Plain Language Summary Our solar system is filled with a stream of particles escaping from the Sun, called the solar wind. The Earth is shielded from these particles by its magnetic field, which creates a magnetic bubble around our planet, the magnetosphere. Because the solar wind flow is supersonic, a bow shock forms in front of the magnetosphere to slow it down. The outermost region of the near-Earth space is called the foreshock. It is a very turbulent region, filled with particles reflected off the Earth’s bow shock, and with a variety of magnetic waves. These waves can be transmitted inside the magnetosphere and create disturbances in the magnetic field on the Earth’s surface. In this work, we use supercomputer simulations to study how the foreshock changes when the solar magnetic field, carried by the solar wind, intensifies. This happens in particular during solar storms, which create stormy space weather at Earth and can have adverse consequences on, for example, spacecraft electronics and power grids. We find that the foreshock properties are very different during these events compared to normal conditions and that these changes may have consequences in the regions closer to Earth.

Correction to “Interhemispherical asymmetry of substorm onset locations and the interplanetary magnetic field”

[1] In the paper “Interhemispherical asymmetry of substorm onset locations and the interplanetary magnetic field” by N. Ostgaard et al. (Geophysical Research Letters, 38, L08104, doi:10.1029/2011GL046767, 2011), equation (4) was incorrectly reproduced. The correct equation, which is given below, was used to produce the fitted curve in Figure 2f. The results and conclusions of the paper remain the same. [2] The interhemispherical asymmetry is related to By as