Abstract
The character of the polar cap ionosphere is dominated by the component of the solar wind IMF (Interplanetary Magnetic Field) that is parallel/anti-parallel to earth’s magnetic field. Changes in the polar cap ionosphere properties, driven by changes in the IMF, necessarily drive changes in both the polar thermosphere and in growth rates of plasma instabilities and polar plasma structuring over a range of scale sizes exceeding 104. The physical processes determining this character are mutually interactive. Selected interactive physical processes are reviewed, to help clarify what is known, and suggest where important new findings may be found, particularly at Svalbard. The ionosphere/ thermosphere transient response to IMF reversals should clarify magnetospheric topology for northward IMF. The cusp thermosphere should exhibit transient upwelling and molecular enrichments. Certain cusp aurora should be excited by thermal electrons; their greater altitude may impact understanding of polar ionospheric convection. Polar ionospheric patch research requires more rigor in specific areas. A number of clear signatures are suggested for polar cap arcs, cusp reconnection events, and related phenomena. The thermosphere, as the rest frame for plasma response to electric fields (currents, heating, chemical loss, instabilities), can have transpolar winds order a km/s, which require measurement.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Roble R. G. (1977) The Thermosphere: The Upper Atmosphere and Magnetosphere National Research Council Monograph Nat. Acad. Sci.
Reiff, P. H. and Burch, J. L. (1985) IMF By-dependent plasma flow and Birkeland currents in the dayside magnetosphere, 2, A global model for northward and southward IMF, J. Geophys. Res, 90 1595–1609.
Cowley, S. W. H. and Lockwood, M. (1992) Excitation and decay of solar-wind driven flows in the magnetosphere-ionosphere system, Ann. Geophys, 10, 103.
Carlson, H C. (1994) The dark polar ionosphere: Progress and future challenges, Radio Sci, 29 157–165.
Richmond, A. D., and Roble, R. G. (1987) Electrodynamic effects of thermospheric winds from the NCAR thermospheric general circulation model, J. Geophys. Res, 92 12365.
Carlson, H. C., and Crowley, G. (1989) The equinox transition study: an overview, J. Geophys. Res, 94 16861–16868.
Carlson, H. C., Heelis, R. A., Weber, E. J., Sharber, J. R. (1988) Coherent mesoscale patterns during northward IMF, J. Geophys. Res, 93 14,501–14514.
Carlson, H. C. (1996) Incoherent scatter radar mapping of polar electrodynamics, J. Atmos. Terr. Phys, 58 37–56.
Heelis, R. A., Lowell, J. K., and Spiro, R. W. (1982) A model of the high-latitude ionospheric convection pattern, J. Geophys. Res., 87, 6339–6345.
Ismail, S., Wallis, D. D., and Cogger, L. L. (1977) Characteristics of polar cap sun-aligned arcs, J. Geophys. Res, 82 4741.
Burke, W. J., Gussenhoven, M. S., Kelley, M. C., Hardy, D. A., and Rich, F. J. (1982) Electric and magnetic field characteristics of discrete arcs in the polar cap, J. Geophys. Res, 87 2431–2443.
Weber, E. W., Klobuchar, J. A., Buchau, J., Carlson, H. C., Livingston, R. C., de la Beaujaudiere, O., McCready, M., Moore, J. G., Bishop, G. J. (1986) Polar cap F layer patches: Structure and dynamics, J. Geophys. Res., 91 12,121–12,129.
Weber, E. W. and Buchau, J. (1981) Polar cap F layer auroras, Geophys. Res. Lett, 8 125–128.
Heppner, J. P. and Maynard, N. C. (1987) Empirical high-latitude electric field models, J. Geophys. Res, 92 4467.
Heelis, R. A., (1984) The effects of interplanetary magnetic field orientation on dayside high-latitude convection, J. Geophys. Res, 89 2873.
Rodriguez, J. et al (in press, 1996) Decay of polar cap arcs after a southward turning of IMF, J. Geophys. Res
Lyons, L. R. (1980) Generation of large scale regions of auroral currents, electric potentials, and precipitation by the divergence of convection electric field, J. Geophys. Res, 85 17–24.
Schunk, R. W. and Sojka, J. J. (1987) A theoretical study of the lifetime and transport of large ionospheric density structures, J. Geophys. Res, 92 12343.
Weber, E. J., Buchau, J., Moore, J. G., Sharber, J. R., Livingstone, R. C., Winningham J. D., and Reinisch, B. W. (1984) F-layer ionization patches in the polar cap, J. Geophys. Res, 89 1683–1694.
Buchau, J., Weber, E. J., Anderson, D. N., Carlson, H C., and Moore, J. G. (1985) Ionospheric structures in the polar cap: their origin and relation to 250 MHz scintillation, Radio Sci, 20 325–338.
Anderson, D. N., Buchau, J., and Heelis, R. A. (1988) Origin of density enhancements in the winter polar cap ionosphere, Radio Sci,23 513–519.
Crowley, G. (1996) Critical review of ionospheric patches and blobs, Chapter 27, Review of Radio Science 1993–1996, URSI, Oxford Sci. Publ., Editor W. R. Stone, 619–648.
Lockwood, M. and Carlson, H. C. (1992) The production of polar cap electron density patches by transient magnetopause reconnection, Geophys. Res. Lett, 19 1731–1734.
Carlson, H. C. (1993) High power HF modification: Geophysics span of EM effects, and energy budget, Adv. Space Res, 13 1015–1024.
Mantas, G. P. and Carlson, H. C. (1996) Reinterpretation of the 6300-A airglow enhancements observed in the ionosphere heating experiments based on analysis of Platteville, Colorado, data, J. Geophys. Res, 101 195–209.
Kozyra, J. U., Valladares, C. E., Carlson, H. C., Buonsanto, M. J., and Slater, D. W. (1990) A theoretical study of the seasonal and solar cycle variations of stable auroral red arcs, J. Geophys. Res, 95 12219–12234.
Kozyra, J. U., Chandler, M. O., Hamilton, D. C., Peterson, W. K., Klumpar, D. M., Slater, D. W., Buonsanto, M. J., and Carlson, H. C. (1993) The role of ring current nose events in producing stable auroral red arc intensifications during the main phase: observations during the September 19–24 1984 storm, J. Geophys. Res, 98 9267–9283.
Lockwood, M., Carlson, H. C., and Sandholt, P. E. (1993) Implications of the altitude of transient 630-nm dayside auroral emissions, J. Geophys. Res, 98 15571–15587.
Bums, A. G., T. L. Killeen, G. Crowley, B. A. Emery, and R. G. Roble, (1989) On the mechanisms responsible for high-latitude thermospheric composition variations during the recovery phase of a geomagnetic storm, J. Geophys. Res, 94 16961–16968.
Bums, A. G., Killeen, T. L., and Roble, R. G. (1991) A theoretical study of thermospheric composition perturbations during an impulsive geomagnetic storm, J. Geophys. Res, 96 14153–14167.
Crowley, G., Emery, B. A., Roble, R. G., Carlson, H. C., and Knipp, D. J. (1989a) Thermospheric dynamics during September 18–19, 1984, 1, Model simulations, J. Geophys. Res, 94, 16925–16944.
Crowley, G., Emery, B. A., Roble, R. G., Carlson, H. C., Salah, J. E., Wickwar, V. B., Miller, K. L., Oliver, W. L., Burnside, R. G., and Marcos, F. A. (1989b) Thermospheric dynamics during September 18–19, 1984, 2, Validation of the NCAR thermospheric general circulation model, J. Geophys. Res, 94 16945–16959.
Valladares, C. E. and Carlson, H. C. (1991) The electrodynamics, thermal, and energetic character of intense sun-aligned arcs in the polar cap, J. Geophys. Res, 96 1379–1400.
Basu, Su., Basu, Sa, MacKenzie, E., Coley, W. R., Sharber, J. R., and Hoegy, W. R. (1990) Plasma structuring by the gradient drift instability at high latitudes and comparison with velocity shear driven processes, J. Geophys. Res, 95 7799.
Basu, Su., Basu, Sa., MacKenzie, E., Fougere, P. F., Coley, W. R., Maynard, N., Winningham, J. D., Sugiura, M., Hanson, W. B., and Hogey, W. R. (1988), Simultaneous density and electric field fluctuation spectra associated with velocity shears in the auroral oval, J. Geophys. Res, 93 115.
Keskinen, M. J., and Huba, J. D. (1990) Nonlinear evolution of high latitude ionospheric interchange instabilities with scale-size dependent magnetospheric coupling, J Geophys. Res,95 15157.
Basu, Sa., Basu, Su., Chaturvedi, P. K., and Bryant, C. M. (1994) Irregularity structures in the cusp-cleft and polar cap regions, Radio Sci, 29 195–208.
Clauer, R. C. and Friis-Christensen, E. (1988) High-latitude dayside electric fields and currents during strong northward IMF: observations and model simulation, J. Geophys. Res, 93 2749–2757.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Carlson, H.C. (1998). Response of the Polar Cap Ionosphere to Changes in (Solar Wind) IMF. In: Moen, J., Egeland, A., Lockwood, M. (eds) Polar Cap Boundary Phenomena. NATO ASI Series, vol 509. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5214-3_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5214-3_19
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6195-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5214-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive