Invalid Polar Cap Indices: Erroneous Scaling Parameters

Abstract

AbstractIn the publication Troshichev et al. (2006) (https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JA011402) on the polar cap (PC) indices, PCN and PCS, an error was made by using components of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) in their geocentric solar ecliptic (GSE) representation instead of the prescribed geocentric solar magnetospheric (GSM) representation for calculations of index scaling parameters. The mistake has caused a trail of incorrect relations and wrong conclusions extending since 2006 up to now (2020) which should be discontinued, for instance, by issuing a corrigendum note from the authors. The present contribution explains the error and discusses in an extended example its consequences for one of the publications that have referred to the invalid scaling parameter set. Further investigations reported here of the PC index versions recommended by the International Association for Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) indicate occurrences of similar problems in the present derivation of index scaling parameters.