An empirical electric field model derived from Chatanika radar data

Abstract

Plasma convection velocity observations obtained with the Chatanika, Alaska incoherent scatter radar have been used to prepare a quantitative empirical model of the convection electric field at auroral latitudes between 58°Λ and 75°Λ. Vector averaging of the individual days' data and smoothing across 2.5 hours of local time were used to reduce substorm perturbations. Tables of the vector electric field components at 300‐km altitude have been prepared for moderately disturbed (Kp = 3) summer conditions. Resolution of the model is 0.5° of invariant latitude and one half hour of magnetic local time. The model field is asymmetric with the afternoon convection cell dominant in magnitude and spatial extent and corresponds to conditions in which the cross polar cap potential is approximately 70 kV.