Roxanne M. Katus

Statistical analysis of the geomagnetic response to different solar wind drivers and the dependence on storm intensity

Geomagnetic storms start with activity on the Sun that causes propagation of magnetized plasma structures in the solar wind. The type of solar activity is used to classify the plasma structures as being either interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) or corotating interaction region (CIR) driven. The ICME-driven events are further classified as either magnetic cloud (MC) driven or sheath (SH) driven by the geoeffective structure responsible for the peak of the storm. The geoeffective solar wind flow then interacts with the magnetosphere producing a disturbance in near-Earth space. It is commonly believed that a SH-driven event behaves more like a CIR-driven event than a MC-driven event; however, in our analysis this is not the case. In this study, geomagnetic storms are investigated statistically with respect to the solar wind driver and the intensity of the events. We use the Hot Electron and Ion Drift Integrator (HEIDI) model to simulate the inner magnetospheric hot ion population during all of the storms classified as intense (Dstmin ≤ −100 nT) within solar cycle 23 (1996–2005). HEIDI is configured four different ways using either the Volland-Stern or self-consistent electric field and either event-based Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) magnetospheric plasma analyzer (MPA) data or a reanalyzed lower resolution version of the data that provides spatial resolution. Presenting the simulation results, geomagnetic data, and solar wind data along a normalized epoch timeline shows the average behavior throughout a typical storm of each classification. The error along the epoch timeline for each HEIDI configuration is used to rate the models performance. We also subgrouped the storms based on the magnitude of the minimum Dst. We found that typically the LANL MPA data provide the best outer boundary condition. Additionally, the self-consistent electric field better reproduces SH- and MC-driven events throughout most of the storm timeline, but the Volland-Stern electric field better reproduces CIR-driven events. Contrary to what we expect, examination of the HEIDI model results and solar wind data shows that SH-driven events behave more like MC-driven events than CIR-driven storms.

Statistical Storm-Time Examination of MLT Dependent Plasmapause Location Derived from IMAGE EUV

The location of the outer edge of the plasmasphere (the plasmapause) as a function of geomagnetic storm time is identified and investigated statistically in regard to the solar wind driver. Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) data are used to create an automated method that locates and extracts the plasmapause. The plasmapause extraction technique searches a set range of possible plasmasphere densities for a maximum gradient. The magnetic local time (MLT)-dependent plasmapause results are compared to manual extraction results. The plasmapause results from 39 intense storms are examined along a normalized epoch storm timeline to determine the average plasmapause L shell as a function of MLT and storm time. The average extracted plasmapause L shell follows the expected storm time plasmapause behavior. The results show that during the main phase, the plasmapause moves earthward and a plasmaspheric drainage plume forms near dusk and across the dayside during strong convection. During the recovery phase, the plume rejoins the corotationally driven plasma while the average plasmapause location moves farther from the Earth. The results are also examined in terms of the solar wind driver. We find evidence that shows that the different categories of solar wind drivers result in different plasmaspheric configurations. During magnetic cloud-driven events the plasmaspheric drainage plume appears at the start of the main phase. During sheath-driven events the plume forms later but typically extends further in MLT.

Postmidnight depletion of the high-energy tail of the quiet plasmasphere

The Van Allen Probes Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) instrument measures the high-energy tail of the thermal plasmasphere allowing study of topside ionosphere and inner magnetosphere coupling. We statistically analyze a 22 month period of HOPE data, looking at quiet times with a Kp index of less than 3. We investigate the high-energy range of the plasmasphere, which consists of ions at energies between 1 and 10 eV and contains approximately 5% of total plasmaspheric density. Both the fluxes and partial plasma densities over this energy range show H+ is depleted the most in the postmidnight sector (1–4 magnetic local time), followed by O+ and then He+. The relative depletion of each species across the postmidnight sector is not ordered by mass, which reveals ionospheric influence. We compare our results with keV energy electron data from HOPE and the Van Allen Probes Electric Fields and Waves instrument spacecraft potential to rule out spacecraft charging. Our conclusion is that the postmidnight ion disappearance is due to diurnal ionospheric temperature variation and charge exchange processes.

Local time variations of high‐energy plasmaspheric ion pitch angle distributions

Recent observations from the Van Allen Probes Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) instrument revealed a persistent depletion in the 1–10 eV ion population in the postmidnight sector during quiet times in the 2 < L < 3 region. This study explores the source of this ion depletion by developing an algorithm to classify 26 months of pitch angle distributions measured by the HOPE instrument. We correct the HOPE low energy fluxes for spacecraft potential using measurements from the Electric Field and Waves (EFW) instrument. A high percentage of low count pitch angle distributions is found in the postmidnight sector coupled with a low percentage of ion distributions peaked perpendicular to the field line. A peak in loss cone distributions in the dusk sector is also observed. Here, these results characterize the nature of the dearth of the near 90° pitch angle 1–10 eV ion population in the near-Earth postmidnight sector. This study also shows, for the first time, low-energy HOPE differential number fluxes corrected for spacecraft potential and 1–10 eV H+ fluxes at different levels of geomagnetic activity.

A new solar wind driven global dynamic plasmapause model: 1. Database and Statistics

A large database, possibly the largest plasmapause location database, with 49119 plasmapause crossing events from the in-situ observations and 3957 plasmapause profiles (corresponding to 48899 plasmapause locations in 1 h MLT intervals) from optical remote sensing from 1977 to 2015 by 18 satellites is compiled. The responses of the global plasmapause to solar wind and geomagnetic changes and the diurnal, seasonal, solar cycle variations of the plasmapause are investigated based on this database. It is found that the plasmapause shrinks towards the Earth globally and a clear bulge appears in the afternoon to pre-midnight MLT sector as the solar wind or geomagnetic conditions change from quiet to disturbed. The bulge is clearer during storm times or southward IMF. The diurnal variations of the plasmapause are most probably be result of the difference between the magnetic dipole tilt and the Earths spin axis. The seasonal variations of the plasmapause are characterized by equinox valleys and solstice peaks. It is also found that the plasmapause approaches the Earth during high solar activity and expands outward during low solar activity. This database will help us study and understand the evolution properties of the plasmapause shape and the interaction processes of the plasmasphere, the ring current and the radiation belts in the magnetosphere.

A new solar wind-driven global dynamic plasmapause model: 2. Model and validation

A new solar wind driven global dynamic plasmapause (NSW-GDP) model has been constructed based on the largest currently-available database containing 49119 plasmapause crossing locations and 3957 plasmapause profiles (corresponding to 48899 plasmapause locations), from 18 satellites during 1977 – 2015 covering four solar cycles. This model is compiled by the Levenberg-Marquardt method for nonlinear multiparameter fitting and parameterized by VSW, BZ, SYM-H, and AE. Continuous and smooth MLT-dependence controlled mainly by the solar wind driven convection electric field ESW is also embedded in this model. Compared with previous empirical models based on our database, this new model improves the forecasting accuracy and capability for the global plasmapause. The diurnal, seasonal and solar cycle variations of the plasmapause can be captured by the new model. The NSW-GDP model can potentially be used to forecast the global plasmapause shape with upstream solar wind and IMF parameters and corresponding predicted values of SYM-H and AE, and can also be used as input parameters for other inner magnetospheric coupling models, such as dynamic radiation belt and ring current models and even MHD models.

Geomagnetic disturbance intensity dependence on the universal timing of the storm peak

The role of Universal Time (UT) dependence on storm-time development has remained an unresolved question in geospace research. This study presents new insight into storm progression in terms of the UT of the storm peak. We present a superposed epoch analysis of solar wind drivers and geomagnetic index responses during magnetic storms, categorized as a function of UT of the storm peak, to investigate the dependency of storm intensity on UT. Storms with Dst minimum less than - 100 nT were identified in the 1970 - 2012 era (305 events), covering four solar cycles. The storms were classified into 6 groups based on the UT of the minimum Dst (40 to 61 events per bin), then each grouping was superposed on a timeline that aligns the time of the minimum Dst. Fifteen different quantities were considered, seven solar wind parameters and eight activity indices derived from ground-based magnetometer data. Statistical analyses of the superposed means against each other (between the different UT groupings) were conducted to determine the mathematical significance of similarities and differences in the time series plots. It was found that the solar wind parameters have no significant difference between the UT groupings, as expected. The geomagnetic activity indices, however, all show statistically significant differences with UT during the main phase and/or early recovery phase. Specifically, the 02:00 UT groupings are stronger storms than those in the other UT bins. That is, storms are stronger when the Asian sector is on the nightside (American sector on the dayside) during the main phase.

Storm time equatorial magnetospheric ion temperature derived from TWINS ENA flux: TWINS ION TEMPERATURE

The plasma sheet plays an integral role in the transport of energy from the magnetotail to the ring current. We present a comprehensive study of the equatorial magnetospheric ion temperatures derived from Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) energetic neutral atom (ENA) measurements during moderate to intense (Dstpeak< 60 nT) storm times between 2009 and 2015. The results are validated using ion temperature data derived from the Geotail low-energy particle energy analyzer and the Los Alamos National Laboratory magnetospheric plasma analyzer. The ion temperatures are analyzed as a function of storm time, local time, and L shell. We perform a normalized superposed epoch analysis of 48 geomagnetic storms and examine the spatial and temporal evolution of the plasma as a function of storm phase. This analysis illustrates the spatial and temporal variation of the ions from the plasma sheet into the inner magnetosphere. We find that the ion temperature increases approaching the storm peak. This enhancement has the largest magnetic local time extent near 12 RE distance downtail.