Abstract
Ionospheric signatures predicted by the patchy‐intermittent (P‐I) dayside reconnection model during southward interplanetary magnetic field are discussed. The P‐I reconnection can lead to spiky convection electric fields. The spiky convection electric fields in turn drives enhanced convection channels on closed field lines in the dayside ionosphere. The observed convection speed in the enhanced convection channel ranges from ∼0.5 to ∼2 km/s. The P‐I reconnection model also predicts that the dayside auroral forms should move noonward along enhanced convection channels. Poleward shift of dayside auroral forms occurs as the enhanced convection channels shift poleward due to reconfiguration of magnetic field following enhanced dayside reconnection. Multiple brightenings of dayside auroral forms should occur on a timescale of ∼2 to 4 min, equal to twice the Alfvén bounce period between the ionosphere and the equatorial plane. Patchy reconnection is intrinsically intermittent due to the rereconnection of elbow‐shaped open flux tubes. The resulting reclosed flux tubes should contain a mixture of magnetosheath‐magnetospheric plasmas as observed in the low‐latitude boundary layer.
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