O. I. Yagodkina

Auroral precipitation dynamics during strong magnetic storms

The dynamics of the auroral precipitation boundaries in the daytime (0900–1200 MLT) and nighttime (2100–2400 MLT) sectors during two strong magnetic storms of February 8–9, 1986, and March 13–14, 1989, with a Dst value at a maximum of approximately −300 and −600 nT, respectively, are studied using the DMSP satellite data. It is shown that, during the main phase of a storm, a shift to lower latitudes of the poleward and equator ward boundaries of the daytime precipitation is observed. In the nighttime sector, the equatorward boundary of the precipitation also shifts to lower latitudes, whereas the position of the poleward boundary depends weakly on the magnetic activity level even in the periods of very strong magnetic disturbances. The increase in the polar cap area occurs mainly due to the equatorward shift of the daytime precipitation. A high correlation degree between the equatorward shift of the poleward boundary of the daytime precipitation and the position of the equatorward boundary of the precipitation at the nighttime side of the Earth is demonstrated. The analysis of the events shows that (1) the magnetic activity level in the nighttime sector of the auroral zone influences considerably the position of the daytime precipitation boundaries during magnetic storms and that (2) the ring current inputs considerably into the value of the Dst variations.

Influence of geomagnetic storms of September 26–30, 2011, on the ionosphere and HF radiowave propagation. I. Ionospheric effects

Geomagnetic storm ionospheric effects observed at different latitudes and longitudes on September 26 and 28–30, 2011, are interpreted with the GSM TIP model. It has been justified that the results of this model can subsequently be used to calculate the HF radiowave ray tracing under quiet conditions and for the selected dates in September 2011. The model calculations are compared with observations of the ionospheric parameters performed by different radiophysical methods. The presented results confirm the classical mechanisms by which positive and negative ionospheric storms are formed during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm. At high latitudes, the electron density is mainly disturbed due to changes in the neutral composition of the thermosphere, resulting in an increase in the chemical loss rates, and the electromagnetic drift, which results in a substantial reconstruction of the high-latitude ionosphere owing to the horizontal plasma transfer. During the storm recovery phase at midlatitudes, electron density positive disturbances are formed in the daytime due to an increase in the n(O)/n(N2) ratio; at the same time, negative effects in the electron density are formed at night as a result of plasma tube devastation. Comparison with the observations indicates that the presented model calculation results can be used to describe a medium for solving problems of radiowave propagation in the ionosphere during the storm main phase on September 26 and during the recovery phase on September 28–30, 2011.

Comparison of the plasma pressure distributions over the equatorial plane and at low altitudes under magnetically quiet conditions

The distribution of plasma pressure over the equatorial plane is compared with the plasma pressure and the position of the electron precipitation boundaries at low altitudes under the conditions of low geomagnetic activity. The pressure at the equatorial plane is determined using data of the THEMIS international five-satellite mission; the pressure at low altitudes, using data of the DMSP satellites. Plasma pressure isotropy and the validity of the condition of the magnetostatic equilibrium at a low level of geomagnetic activity are taken into account. Plasma pressure in such a case is constant along the magnetic field line and can be considered a “natural tracer” of the field line. It is shown that the plasma ring surrounding the Earth at geocentric distances of ∼6 to ∼10–12RE is the main source of the precipitations in the auroral oval.

Features of the Planetary Distribution of Auroral Precipitation Characteristics during Substorms

A planetary pattern of substorm development in auroral precipitation has been constructed on the basis of the F6 and F7 satellite observations. The behavior of the auroral injection boundaries and characteristics of precipitating electrons in various precipitation regions during all phases of a statistically mean magnetospheric substorm with an intensity of AL ∼ −400 nT at a maximum is considered in detail. It is shown that during a substorm, the zone of structured auroral oval precipitation AOP and the diffuse auroral zone DAZ are the widest in the nighttime and daytime sectors, respectively. In the daytime sector, all precipitation regions synchronously shift equatorward not only at the origination phase but during the substorm development phase. The strongest shift to low latitudes of the daytime AOP region is observed at a maximum of the development phase. As a result of this shift, the area of the polar cap increases during the phases of substorm origination and development. It is shown that the average position of the precipitation boundaries and the energy fluxes of precipitating electrons at each phase are linearly related to the intensity of a magnetic disturbance. This makes it possible to develop a model of auroral precipitation development during each phase of substorms of any intensity.

Position of projections of the nightside auroral oval equatorward and poleward edges in the magnetosphere equatorial plane

The position of the auroral oval poleward and equatorward boundary projections on the equatorial plane in the nightside MLT sector during magnetically quiet periods (|AL| < 200 nT, |Dst| < 10 nT) has been determined. The oval boundary positions were determined according to the precipitation model developed at Polar Geophysical Institute (http://apm.pgia.ru/). The isotropy of the averaged plasma pressure and the experimentally confirmed balance of pressures during the nighttime have been taken into account. The morphological mapping method has been used to map the oval poleward and equatorward edges without the use of any magnetic field model on the assumption that the condition of magnetostatic equilibrium is valid. Ion pressures at ionospheric altitudes and in the equatorial plane have been compared. It has been shown that the auroral oval equatorward boundary in the midnight sector is localized at geocentric distances of ~7 RE, which is in good agreement with the position of the energetic particle injection boundary in the equatorial plane. The oval poleward edge is localized at the ~10 RE geocentric distance, which is in good agreement with the position of the equatorward boundary of the region with a high turbulence level in the Earth’s magnetosphere plasma sheet.

Comparative Characteristics of Ion and Electron Precipitation in the Dawn and Dusk Sectors

Characteristics of ion and electron precipitations in the dawn and dusk sectors are investigated by DMSP F6 and F7 satellite observations. It is shown that in the dusk sector the positions of electron and ion precipitation boundaries are nearly coincident for all levels of magnetic activity; however the latitudinal distribution of energy fluxes indicates that the positions of electron and ion precipitation maxima are spatially separated. Maximum energy fluxes of ions is observed at the equatorial precipitation boundary, while those of electrons at the poleward one. In the dawn sector, the electron precipitation region is 3°–4° wider than that of ions. The isotropy boundary in the dusk sector is located in the region of diffuse precipitation (DAZ) near its poleward boundary for all levels of magnetic activity, while in the dawn sector it falls in the region of structured precipitations (AOP). Electron precipitations are dominating in the dawn sector. Here in the region of diffuse precipitation (DAZ), the ion energy fluxes Fi make less than 5% as compared to the electron energy flux Fe. In the region of structured precipitations (AOP), the portion of Fi decreases with increasing magnetic activity from ~10–20% for AL ≈ -100 nT to <5% for AL ≈ -1000 nT. As for the dusk sector, in the AOP region, electron precipitations are dominating as well, while in the DAZ region the ion energy fluxes are significant. In the 1500–1800 MLT sector, the ratio Fi/Fe increases from ~0.7 to ~3.0 with AL changing from -100 nT to -1000 nT.

Features of morning-time auroras during SC

The optical observations on Heiss Island and the ion drift measurements on the DMSP F8 satellite were used to study the aurora characteristics and ionospheric convection before and after SC registered at 2330 UT on January 13, 1988. It has been indicated that two zones of luminosity can be distinguished in morning-time auroras during the quiet period before SC: the soft zone with auroral arcs and the harder diffuse auroral zone (equatorward of the first zone). After SC, a gradual smooth activation of auroras in both zones was followed (4–5 min later) by a more abrupt intensification of diffuse luminosity and by the appearance of numerous bright discrete auroras throughout the sky. In the diffuse auroral zone, the variations in the luminosity intensity with a period of 6–7 min were observed after SC. Auroral and geomagnetic field pulsations are closely correlated. During the quiet period before SC, sunward convection was concentrated in the soft precipitation region in the form of jets located in the vicinity of auroral arcs. After SC, considerable sunward convection was observed in the diffuse auroral zone. Peaks of the upward ion drift velocity were registered in the vicinity of auroral arcs.

Investigation of isolated substorms: Generation conditions and characteristics of different phases

Characteristics of isolated substorms selected by variations in the 1-min values of the AL index are analyzed. The substorms were divided into several types with respect to the behavior of the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during the expansion phase. The probability of observations of substorms associated with the northward turn of the Bz component of IMF was ~19%, while the substorms taking place at Bz < 0 were observed in 53% of cases. A substantial number of events in which no substorm magnetic activity was observed in the auroral zone after a long (>30 min) period of the southward IMF and a following sharp turn of the Bz component of IMF before the north was detected. The data suggest that a northward IMF turn is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for generating substorms. It has been shown for substorms of the both types that the average duration of the southward IMF to moment T0 and the average intensity of the magnetic perturbation in the maximum are approximately the same and amount to ~80 min and–650 nT, respectively. However, for substorms at Bz < 0, their mean duration, including the expansive and recovery phases, is on average 30 min longer than that at a northward turn of IMF. Correlations between the loading–unloading processes in the magnetosphere in the periods of magnetospheric substorms were investigated with different functions that determine the efficiency of the energy transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. It has been shown that the highest correlation coefficient (r = 0.84) is observed when the function suggested by Newell et al. (2007) is used. It has been detected that a simple function VBS yields a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.75).

Dayside auroras during unusually large positive values of the IMF Bz component

The characteristics of dayside auroras during the large (16–24 nT) positive values of the IMF Bz component, observed on January 14, 1988, during the interaction between the Earth’s magnetosphere and the body of the interplanetary magnetic cloud, have been studied based on the optical observations on Heiss Island. A wide band of diffuse red luminosity with an intensity of 1–2 kilorayleigh (kR) was observed during 6 h in the interval 1030–1630 MLT at latitudes higher than 75° CGL. Rayed auroral arcs, the brightness of which in the 557.7 nm emission sharply increased to 3–7 kR in the postnoon sector immediately after the polarity reversal of the IMF By component from positive to negative, were continuously registered within the band. Bright auroral arcs were observed at the equatorward edge of red luminosity. It has been found out that the red auroral intensity increases and the band equatorward boundary shifts to lower latitudes with increasing solar wind dynamic pressure. However, a direct proportional dependence of the variations in the auroral features on the dynamic pressure variations has not been found. It has been concluded that the source of bright discrete auroras is located in the region of the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) on closed geomagnetic field lines. The estimated LLBL thickness is ∼3 Re. It has been concluded that the intensity of the dayside red band depends on the solar wind plasma density, whereas the position of the position equatorward boundary depends on the dynamic pressure value and its variations.

Effect of solar dynamics parameters on the formation of substorm activity

An algorithm for retrieving the AL index dynamics from the parameters of solar-wind plasma and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) has been developed. Along with other geoeffective parameters of the solar wind, an integral parameter in the form of the cumulative sum Σ[N*V2] is used to determine the process of substorm formation. The algorithm is incorporated into a framework developed to retrieve the AL index of an Elman-type artificial neural network (ANN) containing an additional layer of neurons that provides an “internal memory” of the prehistory of the dynamical process to be retrieved. The ANN is trained on data of 70 eight-hour-long time intervals, including the periods of isolated magnetospheric substorms. The efficiency of this approach is demonstrated by numerical neural-network experiments on retrieving the dynamics of the AL index from the of solar wind and IMF parameters during substorms.