Sources of the High-Latitude Thermospheric Neutral Mass Density Variations

Abstract

We investigate the sources of the variation of the high-latitude thermospheric neutral mass density depending on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. For this purpose, we have carried out the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEGCM) simulations for various IMF conditions under summer condition in the southern hemisphere. The NCAR-TIEGCM is combined with a new empirical model that provides a forcing to the thermosphere in high latitudes. The difference of the high-latitude thermospheric neutral mass density (subtraction of the values for zero IMF condition from the values for non-zero IMF conditions) shows a dependence on the IMF condition: For negative <TEX>$B_y$</TEX> condition, there are significantly enhanced difference densities in the dusk sector and around midnight. Under the positive-<TEX>$B_y$</TEX> condition, there is a decrease in the early morning hours including the dawn side poleward of <TEX>$-70^{\circ}$</TEX>. For negative <TEX>$B_z$</TEX>, the difference of the thermospheric densities shows a strong enhancement in the cusp region and around midnight, but decreases in the dawn sector. In the dusk sector, those values are relatively larger than those in the dawn sector. The density difference under positive-<TEX>$B_z$</TEX> condition shows decreases generally. The density difference is more significant under negative-<TEX>$B_z$</TEX> condition than under positive-<TEX>$B_z$</TEX> condition. The dependence of the density difference on the IMF conditions in high latitudes, especially, in the dawn and dusk sectors can be explained by the effect of thermospheric winds that are associated with the ionospheric convection and vary following the direction of the IMF. In auroral and cusp regions, heating of thermosphere by ionospheric currents and/or auroral particle precipitation can be also the source of the dependence of the density difference on the IMF conditions.