How the intensity of isolated substorms is controlled by the solar wind parameters

Abstract

Analysis of 163 isolated substorms showed that their intensity quantified as a maximum absolute value of the AL index increases with an increase in the velocity and number density of the solar wind plasma and hence its dynamic pressure. Most of the coupling functions describing the energy loading to the magnetosphere, e.g., the Kan–Lee electric field (EKL) and the Newell factor (dΦ/dt), do not include the dynamic pressure as an input parameter. Having examined the correlation between these functions and the dynamic pressure, we found that, surprisingly, while almost uncorrelated for any arbitrary time interval, both EKL and dΦ/dt correlate with the dynamic pressure within 1 h before the onset of isolated substorms. That is, an increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure is associated with an increase in the solar wind driving before the onset. We assume that the increase in the dynamic pressure as early as before substorm growth path creates the conditions inside the magnetosphere that impede the occurrence of substorms and increase the threshold for the instability leading to expansion onset, forcing the accumulation of greater amount of energy in the magnetosphere. This energy is released during substorm expansion, producing a more intense magnetic bay.