Changes in the Magnetic Field Topology and the Dayside/Nightside Reconnection Rates in Response to a Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Front: A Case Study

Abstract

AbstractOne of the most significant observations associated with a sharp enhancement in solar wind dynamic pressure, , is the poleward expansion of the auroral oval and the closing of the polar cap. The polar cap shrinking over a wide range of magnetic local times (MLTs), in connection with an observed increase in ionospheric convection and the transpolar potential, led to the conclusion that the nightside reconnection rate is significantly enhanced after a pressure front impact. However, this enhanced tail reconnection has never been directly measured. We demonstrate the effect of a solar wind dynamic pressure front on the polar cap closure, and for the first time, measure the enhanced reconnection rate in the magnetotail, for a case occurring during southward background Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) conditions. We use Polar Ultra‐Violet Imager (UVI) measurements to detect the location of the open‐closed field line boundary, and combine them with Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics (AMIE) potentials to calculate the ionospheric electric field along the polar cap boundary, and thus evaluate the variation of the dayside/nightside reconnection rates. We find a strong response of the polar cap boundary at all available MLTs, exhibiting a significant reduction of the open flux content. We also observe an immediate response of the dayside reconnection rate, plus a phased response, delayed by ∼15–20 min, of the nightside reconnection rate. Finally, we provide comparison of the observations with the results of the Open Geospace General Circulation Model (OpenGGCM), elucidating significant agreements and disagreements.