Interplanetary magnetic field control of fast azimuthal flows in the nightside high-latitude ionosphere

Grocott, A. and Milan, S. E. and Yeoman, T. K. (2008) Interplanetary magnetic field control of fast azimuthal flows in the nightside high-latitude ionosphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 35 (8): L08102. ISSN 0094-8276

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Abstract

SuperDARN radar data from both hemispheres for the interval January 1999 to November 2006 have been inspected for evidence of high-speed azimuthal flows in the nightside high-latitude ionosphere. In the northern hemisphere, 88% of the westward directed fast flows occurred during IMF BY negative intervals and 83% of the eastward flows occurred during IMF BY positive intervals. In the southern hemisphere 82% of the westward flows occurred during IMF BY positive intervals and 74% of the eastward flows occurred during IMF BY negative intervals. ∼74% of these fast flows occurred when the IMF was within the 30° < ∣θ∣ < 100° clock angle range and the AE index was below 150 nT. These results support the hypothesis that highly dynamic magnetospheric activitycan be associated with predominantly northward, but BY-dominated IMF driving conditions and subsequent non-substorm reconnection in a twisted magnetotail.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Geophysical Research Letters
Additional Information:
Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1908
Subjects:
?? magnetosphereionosphere dynamicsgeophysicsearth and planetary sciences(all) ??
ID Code:
67129
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
11 Oct 2013 11:00
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
18 Dec 2023 01:22