Dayside Merging Research Articles

Solar wind magnetosonic mach number as a control variable for energy dissipation during magnetic storms

During the main phase of many magnetic storms the solar wind Mach number is low and IMF magnitude is large. Under these conditions, the ionospheric potential saturates, and it becomes relatively insensitive to further increases in the IMF magnitude. On the other hand, the dayside merging rate and the potential become sensitive to the solar wind density. This should result in a correlation between the intensity of the auroral electrojets and the solar wind density. In this study we provide a sample of 314 moderate to strong storms and investigate the correlation between Dst index and the energy dissipated in the ionosphere. We show that for lower Mach numbers, this correlation decreases. We also show that the ionospheric indices of the storms with the lower Mach number are less correlated to the geoeffectiveness of the solar wind during these storms.

The effect of F10.7 on interhemispheric differences in ionospheric current during solstices

We investigate the differences in the electrojet and Birkeland current systems during summer and winter solstice and the effect of F10.7. The difference in solar illumination of the polar ionosphere during the winter versus summer solstice results in significantly higher conductivity in the summer polar ionosphere. As expected, the currents are larger during the summer than during the winter. The relationship between the electrojets and the Birkeland current systems is essentially constant across seasons, as expected if the ionospheric electrojets close the Birkeland currents. The magnitude of F10.7 is an indicator of the level of solar-generated ionospheric conductance, therefore, one would expect larger ionospheric currents during periods of larger F10.7. This holds true for the summer solstice periods, however, the opposite trend is observed during the winter solstice periods. We provide an explanation for this finding based on the control of the dayside merging rate by the magnetosheath flow pattern.

Control of the East‐West Component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field on the Occurrence of Magnetic Substorms

AbstractWe study the effects of the east‐west (y) component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) on the occurrence of substorms by analyzing 16,743 magnetic substorm events identified with the SuperMAG SML index from 1995 to 2016. It is found, surprisingly, that substorm occurrence rates depend highly on the sign of IMF By, with, on average, ~1/3 more substorms for IMF By > 0 than for IMF By < 0. We attribute this asymmetry to the enhanced convection (e.g., more energy in the tail) under IMF By > 0 conditions. A superposed epoch analysis of the IMF indicates that the average IMF By prior to onset is positive but becomes less positive ~15 min prior to the onset, indicating that the release of the stress associated with a clockwise twisted magnetotail may be an important onset trigger. We conjecture that an asymmetry in the dayside merging efficiency may be the cause.

Investigating the Development of Localized Neutral Density Increases During the 24 August 2005 Geomagnetic Storm

AbstractWe investigate localized thermospheric neutral density increases (or density spikes) developed during the 24 August 2005 geomagnetic storm and utilize a multi‐instrument database for monitoring the underlying thermospheric, ionospheric, magnetospheric, and solar wind conditions. We study five scenarios occurring under eastward/westward BY dominations and demonstrating the development of density spikes during various events. These scenarios show (1) a northern density spike associated with enhanced antisunward polar flows driven by dayside merging along old‐open field lines during the initial phase, (2) some southern density spikes associated with enhanced sunward auroral flows caused by auroral brightening events during the storm initial phase and main phase, (3) two pairs of southern dayside‐nightside density spike configuration associated with enhanced antisunward polar flows caused by dayside merging and nightside magnetotail reconnections along old‐open field lines during the underlying substorm activity, and (4) a series of enhanced polar sunward flows developed in the polar cap driven by different processes during the recovery phase. We provide a detailed analysis of these events including the specification of underlying field aligned current systems, flow channel types, and auroral forms. Observational results demonstrate the various density spikes and their associated auroral forms and/or flow channels and thus provide a better understanding of their development during this intense geomagnetic storm.

Testing the expanding‐contracting polar cap paradigm

AbstractThe expanding‐contracting polar cap (ECPC) paradigm is tested. Under the ECPC paradigm ionospheric convection in the polar cap is driven by the combined effects of magnetic field dayside merging and nightside reconnection, as opposed to being mapped down from higher altitudes. The ECPC paradigm is tested by separately examining the cross polar cap potential when the polar cap is expanding versus contracting. The open magnetic flux is estimated from Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) observations of the convection reversal boundary (CRB) made simultaneously at different local times. Sotirelis et al. (2005) established the CRB as a proxy for the open‐closed boundary. The correlation of the ionospheric convection potential, determined from SuperDARN, with solar wind/interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) driving is indeed found to depend on whether the polar cap is expanding or contracting. Specifically, when the polar cap is expanding, ionospheric convection potential correlates best (0.86) with the most recent 10 min of solar wind/IMF driving (versus 0.57 for contracting). When contracting, convection potential correlates best (0.87) with 90 min averages of solar wind/IMF driving (versus 0.51 for expanding). This result is consistent with the expectations of the ECPC paradigm.

Polar tongue of ionization (TOI) and associated Joule heating intensification investigated during the magnetically disturbed period of 1–2 October 2001

AbstractWe investigate storm‐enhanced density (SED) and polar tongue of ionization (TOI) over North America under southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field conditions. We focus on the 30 September to 1 October 2001 medium magnetic storm's recovery phase (Period 1) and on the last substorm (Period 2) of the following 2 October substorm series. We aim to study the SED‐TOI structure in the time frame of solar wind energy input to the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system and in terms of Joule heating. We utilize GPS total electron content maps tracking SED plume and polar TOI, and spectrogram images detecting polar rain and precipitation void and thus evidencing dayside merging. The variations of merging electric (E) field (EM) and its mapped‐down polar equivalent (EP), energy input efficiency (EIeff), and modeled Joule heating rate (QJoule) are monitored. Results show multiple Joule heating intensification points implying multiple energy deposition points at high latitudes where the magnetic pole was one of the preferred locations. During the higher EIeff (~1.5%) Period 2, the polar TOI was associated with a well‐defined strong QJoule intensification and with polar rain (or void) on the dayside (or nightside). During the lower EIeff (~0.5%) Period 1, only weak QJoule intensification occurred in the absence of both polar TOI and polar rain. We highlight the polar TOI's potential impact on the thermosphere. We conclude that (i) strong (EM ≈ 5 mV/m during Period 2) or weak (EM ≈ 0.5–2 mV/m during Period 1) EM facilitated energy deposition close to the magnetic pole and (ii) EIeff could be used as a diagnostic of the polar TOI's intensity.

Plasma and convection reversal boundary motions in the high‐latitude ionosphere

AbstractIn this paper we present a statistical study of the high‐latitude ionospheric plasma motion at the convection reversal boundary (CRB) and its dependence on the location of the CRB and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation by using the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F13 and F15 measurements over the period from 2000 to 2007. During periods of stable southward IMF, we find a smaller variability in plasma drifts across the CRB over a 4 h segment in magnetic local time (MLT) around dawn and dusk compared to that for variable IMF. Across these segments, the plasma motion at the CRB is directed poleward at local times closer to local noon and equatorward at local times closer to midnight on both the dawn and dusk sides with a total potential drop ~10 kV, suggesting that the CRB behaves much like an adiaroic line. For variable IMF with no stability constraint, we see a relatively narrow distribution of plasma drifts across the CRB only in the 6–7 h and 17–18 h MLT and equatorward/poleward motions of the CRB when the CRB is located at the highest/lowest latitudes. The smaller local time extent of the adiaroic line for variable IMF (~1 h) may be associated with rotation of the dayside merging gap in local time or local contractions and expansions of the polar cap boundary.

The integrated dayside merging rate is controlled primarily by the solar wind

AbstractAn argument is presented to support the view that the rate of merging between the geomagnetic field and the interplanetary magnetic field across the dayside magnetosphere is controlled primarily by the solar wind parameters. The controlling parameters are the solar wind electric field in the Earth's frame of reference and the solar wind magnetosonic fast mode Mach number. These factors control to first order the total amount of magnetic flux that is carried by the magnetosheath flow to the dayside merging region. We argue that the global dayside merging rate is governed by the amount of flux that is delivered to the dayside merging line by the magnetosheath flow. The ionospheric conductance also plays an important role by modulating the shape of the magnetospheric obstacle around which the magnetosheath flow is deflected. The local conditions at the magnetopause, especially changes in magnetospheric plasma density will affect the local reconnection rate, but not the global dayside merging rate because to change the global merging rate the entire pattern of magnetosheath flow must be changed. The conceptual model presented here can explain how dayside merging depends on solar wind values, including both linear and nonlinear dependencies, through the application of a single, unifying perspective, without the need for ad hoc mechanisms that limit the dayside merging rate.

Sawtooth-substorm connections: A closer look

[1] This paper seeks to improve understanding of sawtooth events (STEs) that occur during the main phases of geomagnetic storms. We consider the dynamics of diverse space environments encountered during a magnetic storm on 24 March 2002 when four STEs were identified in energetic particle fluxes measured by Synchronous Orbit Particle Analyzers on Los Alamos National Laboratory satellites. Over the reported interval, 28 substorms were identified in magnetometer traces obtained via the SuperMAG international collaboration. Magnetic inclination variations sampled by the Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites 8 and 10 on the nightside indicate that STEs coincided with substorms marked by strong and prolonged dipolarizations. Significantly, the four STEs were accompanied by partial recoveries of the SYM-H index. Two SuperMAG substorms were marked by weak dipolarizations and energetic particle flux increases. The remaining 22 substorms showed no such signatures near 6.6 RE. We regard the latter SuperMAG events as indicating intensifications of the DP 2 current system driven by episodically enhanced reconnection at the distant X line. Presented data are shown to be consistent with the conjecture of Huang et al. (2009) that STEs occur only after open flux in the magnetotail exceeds a critical level near 109 Wb. During STEs, significant quantities of open flux were removed from the magnetotail at near-Earth reconnection lines. It took ~3 h to eject plasmoids and replenish open flux in the magnetotail to a critical level via continued dayside merging, thereby driving quasi-cyclic STE occurrences.

Auroral forms that extend equatorward from the persistent midday aurora during geomagnetically quiet periods

Auroral forms (“crewcuts”) that extend equatorward from the geomagnetically east–west aligned persistent midday aurora have been characterized based on a survey of Svalbard 630.0-nm all-sky images from eight December solstice seasons. The 630.0-nm forms are directly related to a mix of precipitating magnetosheath and plasma sheet electrons embedded in a population of boundary layer ions, as observed by NOAA 6. The associated midday aurora lies at the equatorward edge of poleward velocity-dispersed cusp ‘ion plumes’ observed by DMSP F7 at 1000 magnetic local time. In this survey, crewcuts are found to occur for Kp≤3. Distinct in many salient ways (including dynamics, orientation and associated IMF polarity) from the poleward-moving auroral forms (PMAFs) associated with transient dayside merging, crewcuts represent a solar wind-magnetosphere interaction that is more characteristic of quiet geomagnetic conditions. Crewcuts are present on 44% of the days for which all-sky images are complete and observing conditions are clear ±1.5h around geomagnetic noon. During these periods, crewcuts are observed during 10.6% of the minutes for which IMF data from ISEE 2 or IMP 8 are available. We derive from the data a simple set of IMF “search criteria” that maximize the likelihood of observing crewcuts around the December solstice. The IMF magnitude range for which crewcuts are most commonly observed is 3.5±0.5nT (36%). The IMF GSM component ranges in which crewcuts are most commonly observed are: Bx=−3.5±0.5nT (27%), By=−1.5±0.5nT (25%), and Bz=0.5±0.5nT (26%). The IMF clock angular ranges for which crewcuts are most commonly observed are −70°±10° and 90°±10° (both 21%). The IMF cone angular range for which crewcuts are most commonly observed is 12.5°±2.5° (28%). Considering these observations in the context of magnetic merging topologies, we suggest crewcuts observed at Svalbard are most likely to lie at the foot of overdraped field lines recently opened by spatially patchy, quasi-steady merging in the southern hemisphere.

The role of dayside merging in generating the ionospheric potential during the Whole Heliospheric Interval

In this paper we examine the role of dayside merging between the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and the geomagnetic field in the generation of the polar cap potential in the ionosphere during the Whole Heliospheric Interval using the Coupled Magnetosphere Ionosphere Thermosphere (CMIT) and Lyon–Fedder–Mobarry (LFM) global simulations of the geospace system from the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM). We isolate the portion of the total ionospheric potential due to the viscous interaction by simulating the interval with a zero IMF, but with the same solar wind plasma conditions. For southward IMF, the cross polar cap potential is the sum of the merging potential and the viscous potential, so we can determine the merging potential by subtracting the viscous potential from the total potential. From the dependence of the merging potential on southward IMF we calculate a geoeffective length of 5 RE. For northward IMF the situation is more complicated since the cross polar cap potential, defined as the peak to peak potential, will be almost always either the value of the viscous potential or of the merging potential, whichever is larger. We find that during periods of northward IMF the cross polar cap potential can be less than what the viscous interaction would produce with no IMF present. This means that the viscous interaction is weakened by the cycle of merging and reconnection for northward IMF. Our results also indicate that current representations of merging rates or electric fields are flawed in the manner in which they describe northward IMF. Typical representations simply produce a weak reconnection rate when the IMF is northward that adds to the viscous potential to create a cross polar cap potential that is larger than the viscous potential, whereas the effect of merging for northward IMF reduces the viscous interaction so that the cross polar cap potential for moderate northward IMF values is smaller than the value that would be expected from solar wind plasma conditions of the viscous potential in isolation.

Contribution of magnetotail reconnection to the cross-polar cap electric potential drop

[1] Since the work of Dungey (1961), the global circulation pattern with two (dayside and nightside) reconnection regions has become a classic concept. However, the contributions of dayside and nightside sources to the cross-polar cap potential (PCP) are not fully understood, particularly, the relative role and specifics of the nightside source are poorly investigated both in quantitative and qualitative terms. To fill this gap, we address the contributions of dayside and nightside sources to the PCP by conducting global MHD simulations with both idealized solar wind input and an observed event input. The dayside source was parameterized by solar wind–based “dayside merging potential” Φd = LeffVBt sin4(θ/2), whereas to characterize the nightside source we integrated across the tail the dawn-dusk electric field in the plasma sheet (to obtain the “cross-tail potential” Φn). For the idealized run we performed simulations using four MHD codes available at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center to show that contribution of the nightside source is a code-independent feature (although there are many differences in the outputs provided by different codes). Particularly, we show that adding a nightside source to the linear fit function for the ionospheric potential (i.e., using the fit function Φfit = KdΦd + KnΦn + Φ0) considerably improves the fitting results both in the idealized events as well as in the simulation of an observed event. According to these simulations the nightside source contribution to the PCP has a fast response time (<5 min) and a modest efficiency (potential transmission factor from tail to the ionosphere is small, Kn < 0.2), which is closely linked to the primarily inductive character of strong electric field generated in the plasma sheet. The latter time intervals are marked by strongly enhanced nightside (lobe) reconnection and can be associated with substorm expansion phases. This association is further strengthened by the simulated patterns of precipitation, the R1-type field-aligned substorm current wedge currents and Hall electrojet currents, which are consistent with the known substorm signatures.

Solar wind driving and substorm triggering

[1] We compare solar wind driving and its changes for three data sets: (1) 4861 identifications of substorm onsets from satellite global imagers (Polar UVI and IMAGE FUV); (2) a similar number of otherwise random times chosen with a similar solar wind distribution (slightly elevated driving); (3) completely random times. Multiple measures of solar wind driving were used, including interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz, the Kan-Lee electric field, the Borovsky function, and dΦMP/dt (all of which estimate dayside merging). Superposed epoch analysis verifies that the mean Bz has a northward turning (or at least averages less southward) starting 20 min before onset. We argue that the delay between IMF impact on the magnetopause and tail effects appearing in the ionosphere is about that long. The northward turning is not the effect of a few extreme events. The median field shows the same result, as do all other measures of solar wind driving. We compare the rate of northward turning to that observed after random times with slightly elevated driving. The subsequent reversion to mean is essentially the same between random elevations and substorms. To further verify this, we consider in detail the distribution of changes from the statistical peak (20 min prior to onset) to onset. For Bz, the mean change after onset is +0.14 nT (i.e., IMF becomes more northward), but the standard deviation is σ = 2.8 nT. Thus large changes in either direction are common. For EKL, the change is −15 nT km/s ± 830 nT km/s. Thus either a hypothesis predicting northward turnings or one predicting southward turnings would find abundant yet random confirming examples. Indeed, applying the Lyons et al. (1997) trigger criteria (excluding only the prior requirement of 22/30 min Bz < 0, which is often not valid for actual substorms) to these three sets of data shows that “northward turning triggers” occur in 23% of the random data, 24% of the actual substorms, and after 27% of the random elevations. These results strongly support the idea of Morley and Freeman (2007), that substorms require initial elevated solar wind driving, but that there is no evidence for external triggering. Finally dynamic pressure, p, and velocity, v, show no meaningful variation around onset (although p averages 10% above an 11 year mean).

Why doesn't the ring current injection rate saturate?

For low values of the solar wind electric field, the response of the polar cap potential is essentially linear, but at high values of VBs, the polar cap potential saturates and does not increase further with increasing VBs. On the other hand, the ring current injection rate does increase linearly with VBs and shows no evidence of saturating. If enhanced convection is the origin of the ring current, this poses a paradox. How can the polar cap potential, and thus convection, saturate when the ring current does not? We examine a possible explanation based on the reexamination of the Burton equation by Vasyliunas (2006). We show that this explanation is not a viable solution to the paradox since it would require a changing polar cap flux, and we demonstrate that the polar cap flux saturates (at around 1 GWb) as the polar cap potential saturates. Instead, we argue that during storms a quasi‐steady reconnection region forms in the tail near the Earth. This reconnection region moves closer to the Earth for higher values of solar wind Bs, although the polar cap potential, the dayside merging and nightside reconnection rates, and the amount of open flux do not change much as a function of Bs once the polar cap potential has become saturated. As the neutral line moves closer, the volume per unit magnetic flux in the closed field line region is less. Flux tubes leaving the reconnection region in general have lower PVγ as Bs increases, and lower PVγ flux tubes can penetrate deeper into the inner magnetosphere, leading to a corresponding greater injection of particles into the inner magnetosphere. Thus a reconnection region that is closer to Earth is more effective in creating a strong ring current. This leads to a continued dependence of the ring current injection rate on VBs, although the polar cap potential has saturated.

Balanced reconnection intervals: four case studies

Abstract. During steady magnetospheric convection (SMC) events the magnetosphere is active, yet there are no data signatures of a large scale reconfiguration, such as a substorm. While this definition has been used for years it fails to elucidate the true physics that is occurring within the magnetosphere, which is that the dayside merging rate and the nightside reconnection rate balance. Thus, it is suggested that these events be renamed Balanced Reconnection Intervals (BRIs). This paper investigates four diverse BRI events that support the idea that new name for these events is needed. The 3–4 February 1998 event falls well into the classic definition of an SMC set forth by Sergeev et al. (1996), while the other challenge some previous notions about SMCs. The 15 February 1998 event fails to end with a substorm expansion and concludes as the magnetospheric activity slowly quiets. The third event, 22–23 December 2000, begins with a slow build up of magnetospheric activity, thus there is no initiating substorm expansion. The last event, 17 February 1998, is more active (larger AE, AL and cross polar cap potential) than previously studied SMCs. It also has more small scale activity than the other events studied here.

The storm‐time access of solar wind ions to the nightside ring current and plasma sheet

We investigated the storm‐time entry of solar wind ions into the magnetosphere by carrying out a large‐scale kinetic particle tracing calculation for the 24–25 September 1998 and the 17 April 2002 geomagnetic storms. For each storm, we simulated the magnetosphere by using a global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code that was driven by solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) data from spacecraft upstream of Earth. We then launched ions in the solar wind in the global time‐dependent fields obtained from the MHD simulation, beginning prior to storm onset and extending into the main phase. We collected those ions that successfully reached the nightside plasma sheet and ring current, and then determined the mechanisms of entry and transport responsible for the injection of these ions into the magnetotail. We found that, in agreement with quiet time entry results, the IMF By component strongly influenced whether ions entered through the dawn or dusk flanks, and changes in IMF By were immediately reflected on the ion entry pattern. Also, in addition to the usual dayside merging source, ion entry into the magnetosphere was facilitated by dynamic pressure enhancements, during which entry occurred over a wide swath of latitudes and extended from the dayside to locations far downtail. More significantly, because of the warmer storm‐time ion population in the magnetosheath, ions were more readily affected by inhomogeneities and rapid changes in the IMF, which caused solar wind ions to gradient drift onto open field lines and reach the inner magnetosphere.

Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of transient transpolar potential responses to solar wind density changes

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations are used to examine the response of the transpolar potential (ΦTP) to changes in the solar wind density during periods of constant solar wind electric field. For increases (decreases) in the solar wind density ΦTP responds immediately by increasing (decreasing) from the steady state values. In both cases the response of ΦTP is transient, decaying to near initial steady state values even when the density change persists. The magnitude of the ΦTP response is proportional to both the rate of erosion of the dayside magnetopause and the ionospheric Pedersen conductance. In our MHD simulations ΦTP is driven entirely by the dayside merging rate and is insensitive to changes in the nightside reconnection rate. The observed relationship between the modeled dayside merging rate and ΦTP is well characterized by an L‐R circuit equation derived from integrating Faraday's Law around the Region 1 current loop. The inductive time constant for variations in the transpolar potential was found to be 6.5 (13) minutes for simulations using ionospheric Pedersen conductances of 6 (12) mhos. This corresponds in both cases to a magnetosphere‐ionosphere inductance of 65 Henries. Observations of the transpolar potential derived using the assimilative mapping of ionospheric electrodynamics (AMIE) model are presented and shown to be consistent with the simulation results.

Auroral streamers and magnetic flux closure

On 7 December 2000 at 2200 UT an auroral streamer was observed to develop above Scandinavia with the IMAGE‐FUV global imagers. The ionospheric equivalent current deduced from the MIRACLE‐IMAGE Scandinavian ground‐based network of magnetometers is typical of a substorm‐time streamer. Observations of the proton aurora using the SI12 imager onboard the IMAGE satellite are combined with measurements of the ionospheric convection obtained by the SuperDARN radar network to compute the dayside merging and nightside flux closure rates. On the basis of this and other similar events, it is found that auroral streamers appear during the period of most intense flux closure in the magnetotail, most often shortly after substorm onset. The ionospheric convection velocity, as measured by SuperDARN, appears to be reduced in the vicinity of the streamer, suggesting de‐coupling of magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma flows in the region of enhanced ionospheric conductance.

A nearly universal solar wind‐magnetosphere coupling function inferred from 10 magnetospheric state variables

We investigated whether one or a few coupling functions can represent best the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere over a wide variety of magnetospheric activity. Ten variables which characterize the state of the magnetosphere were studied. Five indices from ground‐based magnetometers were selected, namely Dst, Kp, AE, AU, and AL, and five from other sources, namely auroral power (Polar UVI), cusp latitude (sin(Λc)), b2i (both DMSP), geosynchronous magnetic inclination angle (GOES), and polar cap size (SuperDARN). These indices were correlated with more than 20 candidate solar wind coupling functions. One function, representing the rate magnetic flux is opened at the magnetopause, correlated best with 9 out of 10 indices of magnetospheric activity. This is dΦMP/dt = v4/3BT2/3sin8/3(θc/2), calculated from (rate IMF field lines approach the magnetopause, ∼v)(% of IMF lines which merge, sin8/3(θc/2))(interplanetary field magnitude, BT)(merging line length, ∼(BMP/BT)1/3). The merging line length is based on flux matching between the solar wind and a dipole field and agrees with a superposed IMF on a vacuum dipole. The IMF clock angle dependence matches the merging rate reported (albeit with limited statistics) at high altitude. The nonlinearities of the magnetospheric response to BT and v are evident when the mean values of indices are plotted, in scatterplots, and in the superior correlations from dΦMP/dt. Our results show that a wide variety of magnetospheric phenomena can be predicted with reasonable accuracy (r &gt; 0.80 in several cases) ab initio, that is without the time history of the target index, by a single function, estimating the dayside merging rate. Across all state variables studied (including AL, which is hard to predict, and polar cap size, which is hard to measure), dΦMP/dt accounts for about 57.2% of the variance, compared to 50.9% for EKL and 48.8% for vBs. All data sets included at least thousands of points over many years, up to two solar cycles, with just two parameter fits, and the correlations are thus robust. The sole index which does not correlate best with dΦMP/dt is Dst, which correlates best (r = 0.87) with p1/2dΦMP/dt. If dΦMP/dt were credited with this success, its average score would be even higher.

Characteristics of merging at the magnetopause inferred from dayside 557.7-nm all-sky images: IMF drivers of poleward moving auroral forms

Abstract. We combine in situ measurements from Cluster with high-resolution 557.7 nm all-sky images from South Pole to investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of merging on the dayside magnetopause. Variations of 557.7 nm emissions were observed at a 6 s cadence at South Pole on 29 April 2003 while significant changes in the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) clock angle were reaching the magnetopause. Electrons energized at merging sites are the probable sources for 557.7 nm cusp emissions. At the same time Cluster was crossing the pre-noon cusp in the Northern Hemisphere. The combined observations confirm results of a previous study that merging events can occur at multiple sites simultaneously and vary asynchronously on time scales of 10 s to 3 min (Maynard et al., 2004). The intensity of the emissions and the merging rate appear to vary with changes in the IMF clock angle, IMF BX and the dynamic pressure of the solar wind. Most poleward moving auroral forms (PMAFs) reflect responses to changes in interplanetary medium rather than to local processes. The changes in magnetopause position required by increases in dynamic pressure are mediated by merging and result in the generation of PMAFs. Small (15–20%) variations in dynamic pressure of the solar wind are sufficient to launch PMAFs. Changes in IMF BX create magnetic flux compressions and rarefactions in the solar wind. Increases (decreases) in IMF BX strengthens |B| near northern (southern) hemisphere merging sites thereby enhancing merging rates and triggering PMAFs. When correlating responses in the two hemispheres, the presence of significant IMF BX also requires that different lag-times be applied to ACE measurements acquired ~0.1 AU upstream of Earth. Cluster observations set lag times for merging at Northern Hemisphere sites; post-noon optical emissions set times of Southern Hemisphere merging. All-sky images and magnetohydrodynamic simulations indicate that merging occurs in multiple discrete locations, rather than continuously, across the dayside for southward IMF conditions in the presence of dipole tilt. Matching optical signatures with clock-angle, BX, and dynamic pressure variations provides new insights about interplanetary control of dayside merging and associated auroral dynamics.