Ionospheric Electric Field Research Articles

Signatures of the Long Duration Prompt Penetration Electric Field in the 18 MHz HF Radar Observations Over Thumba

AbstractOne of the best proxies to estimate the daytime ionospheric zonal electric field from the dynamo region is by probing the drift of the plasma irregularities in the ionospheric E‐region by coherent radars, although there have not been many at HF frequencies. The present study is based on the observations of the anomalous variability in the zonal drift of 8.3 m scale size plasma irregularities in the ionospheric E‐region during the daytime on 12 October 2021, and 28 November 2022, as observed by an 18 MHz HF radar at Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E, and dip lat. = 1.96°N). The wind perturbations from the lower atmosphere and the electric field penetrating from the solar wind, can both cause the perturbations in the E‐region electric field. Based on a comparison with the predicted Prompt Penetration Equatorial Electric Field (PPEF) as ascribed by Manoj et al. (2008, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008ja013381), and the quiet‐time dynamo electric field over the longitude of Thumba, we conclude that the perturbations in the electric field on these two events are caused by PPEF mapping to the equatorial region, solely driven by IMF BZ oscillations. The former event is a result of a Coronal Mass Ejection, whereas the latter event was caused by a high‐speed solar wind associated with coronal hole. The fluctuations in the strength of the Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ) calculated from the magnetic field observations from a pair of equatorial (Tirunelveli) and off‐equatorial (Alibag) stations are also found to be well in agreement with the radar observations and modeled PPEF, thereby verifying the E‐region observations.

Manifestations of Strong IMF‐By on the Equatorial Ionospheric Electrodynamics During 10 May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm

AbstractUnderstanding the effects of east‐west component of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF‐By) on the equatorial ionospheric electrodynamics is challenging due to the complex response caused by the simultaneous occurrence of multiple mechanisms during disturbed times. The extreme geomagnetic storm on 10 May 2024 caused by multiple‐ICME interactions accompanied with unprecedented IMF‐By magnitudes and its polarity, changed from west to east by 130 nT during northward IMF‐Bz turning. The ground ionosonde observations of h’F from near‐equatorial locations, along with the latitudinal profiles of plasma densities from Swarm satellites reveal the first observational evidence of the impact of strong IMF‐By near the dusk‐terminator (17–19.5 LT), causing strong dawn‐to‐dusk ionospheric electric fields during northward IMF‐Bz. This electric field produces large uplift of the ionospheric plasma near equator and subsequent super‐fountain effect near the dusk. The combined effect of increased IMF‐By amplitudes and viscous terms might have resulted into the enhanced coupling of solar wind with the magnetosphere.

A Quiet‐Day Ionospheric Electrodynamics Empirical Model in the Low and Middle Latitudes

AbstractIn this paper, we develop a climatology model of the ionospheric electric field and potential at low and middle latitudes on quiet time, utilizing plasma drift observed from the ROCSAT‐1 satellite. The meridional/vertical and zonal E × B drifts are transformed to the electric fields using modified Apex coordinates under the real geomagnetic field model. The electric field data are adjusted to different solar levels through bilinear fitting, and organized into seasonal, longitudinal, latitudinal bins. The fully normalized associated Legendre functions are chosen as the fitting basis modes. Our model can effectively describe the latitudinal dependence of the electrodynamics parameters cover equatorward of 35° magnetic latitude. The fitted drifts hold the fundamental characteristics of the results observed prior to fitting. The model potential can well shows the typical morphological characteristics that are in great agreement with prior research findings. Furthermore, the potential variations exhibit distinct seasonal, solar flux, and UT dependence under moderate and high solar flux conditions. Within the framework of this model, the potential, electric field, and drift can be mutually converted while maintaining self‐consistency.

Quantifying the Mesoscale Contribution to FACs During a Magnetospheric Substorm

AbstractMesoscales, which couple small to large scales, and vice‐versa, are critical to the magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling. Optical and radar measurements indicate that dynamical mesoscale features are present in the ionosphere, however quantifying their contribution to the overall dynamics remains a challenge. We use a new ionospheric data assimilation technique, Lompe (Local mapping of the polar ionospheric electrodynamics), to specify ionospheric electrodynamics using a wide variety of input data and a priori assumptions about the physical nature of the ionospheric electric field. We isolate the terms of the ionospheric Ohm's law and find that mesoscale structures in the FACs are driven by Hall gradients, while the larger scale patterns are associated with the divergence of the electric field. We calculate the relative contribution of mesoscales to the overall FAC patterns during a magnetospheric substorm, and find that in the nightside, mesoscale FACs contribute up to 60% of the total.

Deriving the Ionospheric Electric Field From the Bulk Motion of Radar Aurora in the E‐Region

AbstractIn the auroral E‐region strong electric fields can create an environment characterized by fast plasma drifts. These fields lead to strong Hall currents which trigger small‐scale plasma instabilities that evolve into turbulence. Radio waves transmitted by radars are scattered off of this turbulence, giving rise to the ‘radar aurora’. However, the Doppler shift from the scattered signal does not describe the F‐region plasma flow, the drift imposed by the magnetosphere. Instead, the radar aurora Doppler shift is typically limited by nonlinear processes to not exceed the local ion‐acoustic speed of the E‐region. This being stated, recent advances in radar interferometry enable the tracking of the bulk motion of the radar aurora, which can be quite different and is typically larger than the motion inferred from the Doppler shift retrieved from turbulence scatter. We argue that the bulk motion inferred from the radar aurora tracks the motion of turbulent source regions (provided by auroras). This allows us to retrieve the electric field responsible for the motion of field tubes involved in auroral particle precipitation, since the precipitating electrons must drift. Through a number of case studies, as well as a statistical analysis, we demonstrate that, as a result, the radar aurora bulk motion is closely associated with the high‐latitude convection electric field. We conclude that, while still in need of further refinement, the method of tracking structures in the radar aurora has the potential to provide reliable estimates of the ionospheric electric field that are consistent with nature.

Characterization of Electric Field Fluctuations in the High-Latitude Ionosphere Using a Dynamical Systems Approach: CSES-01 Observations

We present an analysis of the ionospheric electric field dynamics at high latitudes during periods of quiet and disturbed geomagnetic activity by exploiting recent advancements in dynamical systems and extreme value theory. Specifically, we employed two key indicators: the instantaneous dimension d, which evaluates the degrees of freedom within the system, and the extremal index θ, which quantifies the system’s persistence in a given state. Electric field measurements were obtained from the CSES-01 satellite at mid- and high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. Our analysis revealed that the instantaneous dimension increases upon crossing specific ionospheric regions corresponding to the auroral oval boundaries. Outside these regions, the instantaneous dimension fluctuates around the state-space dimension, suggesting an ergodic nature of the system. As geomagnetic activity intensifies, differences in the properties of various ionospheric regions persist, albeit with an increased system instability characterized by higher θ values, thus indicating the externally driven nature of the electric field response to geomagnetic activity. This study provides new insights into the spatial and temporal variability of electric field fluctuations in the ionosphere, highlighting the complex interplay between geomagnetic conditions and ionospheric dynamics.

Inertia of Ionospheric Conductance During Electron Precipitation Events

AbstractUsing the SuperThermal Electron Transport (STET) model coupled with the Super‐thermal Proton Electron Atomic Hydrogen—tRansport in the Ionosphere and Thermosphere (SPEAH‐RIT) codes, we demonstrate that temporal variability of ionospheric conductance is defined by several time scales: the temporal variations of the magnetospheric source, the start time of electron precipitation, and the termination of the corresponding source. In these cases, the time scales are defined by dissipation of energetic electrons and effective recombination processes. The results presented in this paper were applied in the regions of pulsating aurora and polar arcs, demonstrating the fact that ionospheric conductance requires some time to form and decay. These time delays constitute an effective “inertia” in the conductance calculation which is not accounted for in many global models which assume an instantaneous connection between precipitation and conductance. Ionospheric conductance inertia influences the temporal variation in ionospheric and magnetospheric electric fields, and as a result, impacts magnetosphere‐ionosphere (MI) dynamics on a global scale.

Impacts of Extreme Ultraviolet Late Phase of the Solar Flare on Ionospheric Electrodynamics

Previous investigations of ionospheric electrodynamical responses to solar flares primarily focused on the main phases (MPs) of solar flares. Typical solar irradiance models for driving global ionosphere models do not include the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) late phase (ELP) of flares, which was recently observed with new high-quality solar EUV spectra. Thus, it is still unclear how ionospheric electrodynamics respond to the flare ELP. Here, we analyzed the ionospheric electrodynamical response to the MP and ELP of the X9.3 flare on 2017 September 6, using observations from ground magnetometers, along with simulation results from an ionosphere–thermosphere coupled model. Observations indicated an intensification of the dayside eastward equatorial electrojet (EEJ) by approximately 12 nT at the ELP peak as compared to the quiet day reference. Additionally, the dayside eastward electric field increased due to the ELP, which is different from the reduction of dayside electric fields during MP. The upward E × B plasma drifts decreased by 2.5 m s–1 during MP but increased by 0.75 m s–1 during the ELP. Altitude-dependent responses of ionospheric conductivities to the ELP modulated the relative contribution of the E- and F-region wind dynamo to zonal electric fields, resulting in an overall increase in the daytime eastward electric fields. Furthermore, combined effects of electric fields and conductivities enhancements contributed to EEJ intensification during the ELP. This study enhances our understanding of how solar flares with ELP change global ionospheric electric fields and currents.

Volumetric Reconstruction of Ionospheric Electric Currents From Tri‐Static Incoherent Scatter Radar Measurements

AbstractWe present a new technique for the upcoming tri‐static incoherent scatter radar system EISCAT 3D (E3D) to perform a volumetric reconstruction of the 3D ionospheric electric current density vector field, focusing on the feasibility of the E3D system. The input to our volumetric reconstruction technique are estimates of the 3D current density perpendicular to the main magnetic field, j⊥, and its covariance, to be obtained from E3D observations based on two main assumptions: (a) Ions fully magnetized above the E region, set to 200 km here. (b) Electrons fully magnetized above the base of our domain, set to 90 km. In this way, j⊥ estimates are obtained without assumptions about the neutral wind field, allowing it to be subsequently determined. The volumetric reconstruction of the full 3D current density is implemented as vertically coupled horizontal layers represented by Spherical Elementary Current Systems with a built‐in current continuity constraint. We demonstrate that our technique is able to retrieve the three dimensional nature of the currents in our idealized setup, taken from a simulation of an active auroral ionosphere using the Geospace Environment Model of Ion‐Neutral Interactions (GEMINI). The vertical current is typically less constrained than the horizontal, but we outline strategies for improvement by utilizing additional data sources in the inversion. The ability to reconstruct the neutral wind field perpendicular to the magnetic field in the E region is demonstrated to mostly be within ±50 m/s in a limited region above the radar system in our setup.

First observations of the transient luminous event effect on ionospheric Schumann resonance, based on the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite

Abstract. In this study, we focus on the interactions and interrelated effects among the transient luminous events (TLEs) recorded at the Luoding ground station (22.76° N, 111.57° E), the lightning activities observed by the World Wide Lightning Location Network, and the ionospheric electric field deduced from the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES). The results show that on 25 September 2021, the signal-to-noise ratio of the Schumann resonance at the first mode of 6.5 Hz and the second mode of 13 Hz dropped below 2.5 during the TLEs. A significant enhancement in the energy in extremely low frequencies (ELFs) occurred, and the power spectral density increased substantially. Distinct lightning whistler waves were found in the very low frequency (VLF) band, further indicating that the energy could possibly have been excited by the lightning. Our results suggest that the observations of the electric field from the satellite could possibly be utilised to monitor the lower-atmospheric lightning and its impact on the space environment.

Lower ionospheric resonance caused by Pekeris wave induced by 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption

The submarine volcano Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai erupted explosively on January 15, 2022, offering a unique opportunity to investigate interactions between the atmosphere and ionosphere caused by Lamb and Pekeris waves. However, the resonance of Pekeris waves has not been previously detected. In this study, we applied a multi-point monitoring approach focusing on the lower ionosphere and atmospheric electric field. Here we show observed oscillations of 100–200 s in manmade transmitter signals and the magnetic and atmospheric electric fields, which were caused by Pekeris waves. However, no corresponding changes with the period of 100–200 s in atmospheric pressure due to Pekeris waves were observed on the ground. A simulation of neutral wind revealed Pekeris waves oscillating near the mesopause, suggesting resonance. Therefore, the oscillation in atmospheric electric field is interpreted that the resonance in the lower ionosphere was projected onto the Earth's surface via a global electric circuit.

A methodology for estimating spectral indices to fluctuation measurements of ionospheric parameters

Spectral analysis is a technique largely used to study scale size regime of ionospheric plasma irregularities based on in situ measurements, notwithstanding the visual representation of power spectral density (PSD) of a signal is often a source of ambiguity during fitting routines and identification of breakpoints. In this work, a method is proposed in order to mitigate the uncertainties inherent to this process. Here, the spectral behavior of time series fluctuations is alternatively investigated using Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA). The DFA algorithm is a scaling analysis procedure widely applied to estimate the detection of long-range correlation without considering apparent short-range ones. Furthermore, the DFA technique is able to remove trends implicit to the signal and to be applied to non-stationary time series. Using in situ measurements of both ionospheric electron density and electric field fluctuations, it was able to analyze plasma bubbles with scales ranging from 1.66 km to 12.4 m. The results show that DFA and PSD routines provide quite similar spectra, but different spectral indices. On the other hand, the spectra revealed steep slopes wrapping the medium scales, a characteristic also detected in other studies. Besides that, the DFA is less noisy than Fourier spectra, which allows a more precise identification of spectral breakpoints.

Impact of seasonal variations on low and mid-latitudes ionospheric electric field satellite measurements

Ionospheric electric field measurements are provided by the Langmuir probe onboard the DEMETER satellite. Because there are four probes, various combinations of them form double probes that yield measurements. However, only the combination of probe antennas (E3) and (E4) enables possible measurements of the ambient (natural) ionospheric electric field. For other combinations, the measured field is almost identical to the induced field resulting from satellite motion. On the basis of this, we conducted comparative studies of the measured and induced electric fields during different seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) to determine the best period for ionospheric electric field measurements. Multiple orbits were selected during different periods when the satellite was exposed to solar radiation. In all seasons except winter, the profiles of the induced and measured ionospheric electric field are similar. This masking effect leads to an underestimation of the ambient electric field. However, the highest accuracy for the ambient field can be obtained during winter, when solar flux radiation is weaker than that during other seasons. The probe position and orbital altitude also play important roles in the behavior of the induced electric field.

The Ionospheric Electric Field Perturbation with an Increase in Radon Emanation

Due to the increase in radon emanation, the conductivity in the surface layer of air increases, which causes variations in the electric fields in the low atmosphere and according to some hypotheses in the ionosphere. There are well-known proposals on the possibility of using such ionospheric disturbances as precursors of earthquakes. In this study, the ionospheric electric fields are calculated in the framework of a quasi-stationary model of the conductor consisting of the atmosphere, including the ionosphere. The consequences of the paradoxical point of view on the decrease in the conductivity of surface air with an increase in radon content are also considered. It is shown that even with extreme radon emanation, the obtained calculated perturbations of the ionospheric electric field are three to four orders of magnitude smaller than the supposed precursors of earthquakes.

Westward PPEF Plays Important Role in the Suppression of Post‐Midnight Plasma Irregularities: A Case Study of the November 2021 Geomagnetic Storm

AbstractWe use multiple instruments data to investigate the behavior of the equatorial and low‐latitude ionosphere during the geomagnetically active and quiet period of November 1–6, 2021. In this context, total electron content (TEC) data obtained from the Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers in the equatorial and low‐latitude regions of Asia, Africa, and America are used to assess variations in plasma density during the storm. The storm‐time ionization levels were found to vary significantly in the crests of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) region over the 3 longitudes. The Rate of Change TEC Index (ROTI) derived from GPS receiver measurements, is used to study the equatorial/low‐latitude ionospheric plasma irregularities at various longitudes under geomagnetically quiet and disturbed conditions. Observations showed longitudinal variations in the ionospheric irregularities under both quiet and disturbed conditions. Some days exhibit a decrease in the strength of the midnight plasma irregularities toward the East, that is, the irregularities are more pronounced in West America, less common in East America, and almost non‐existent in Africa and Asia. Our investigations show this storm prevented the occurrence of plasma irregularities at the equatorial/low‐latitude region in the American sector during the night following the main phase. In general, no significant storm effects were observed at the target locations in Africa and Asia. The existence of westward Prompt Penetration Electric Field (PPEF) and the Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ) during the main phase, from midnight to noon, is clearly related with the constriction of plasma diffusion and the consequent suppression of plasma irregularities. Thus, the longitudinal dependence for the generation of midnight plasma irregularities during this storm is mainly influenced by local time occurrence of maximum ring current, and the ionospheric electric fields.

Estimating the Ionospheric Induction Electric Field Using Ground Magnetometers

AbstractThe ionospheric convection electric field is often assumed to be a potential field. This assumption is not always valid, especially when the ionosphere changes on short time scales min. We present a technique for estimating the induction electric field using ground magnetometer measurements. The technique is demonstrated on real and simulated data for sudden increases in solar wind dynamic pressure of 1 and 10 nPa, respectively. For the real data, the ionospheric induction electric field is 0.15 0.015 mV/m, and the corresponding compressional flow is 2.5 0.3 m/s. For the simulated data, the induction electric field and compressional flow reach 3 mV/m and 50 m/s, respectively. The induction electric field can locally constitute tens of percent of the total electric field. Inclusion of the induction electric field increased the total Joule heating by 2.4%. Locally the Joule heating changed by tens of percent. This corresponds to energy dissipation that is not accounted for in existing models.

Calculating the High‐Latitude Ionospheric Electrodynamics Using a Machine Learning‐Based Field‐Aligned Current Model

AbstractWe introduce a new framework called Machine Learning (ML) based Auroral Ionospheric electrodynamics Model (ML‐AIM). ML‐AIM solves a current continuity equation by utilizing the ML model of Field Aligned Currents of Kunduri et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA027908), the FAC‐derived auroral conductance model of Robinson et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA028008), and the solar irradiance conductance model of Moen and Brekke (1993, https://doi.org/10.1029/92gl02109). The ML‐AIM inputs are 60‐min time histories of solar wind plasma, interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF), and geomagnetic indices, and its outputs are ionospheric electric potential, electric fields, Pedersen/Hall currents, and Joule Heating. We conduct two ML‐AIM simulations for a weak geomagnetic activity interval on 14 May 2013 and a geomagnetic storm on 7–8 September 2017. ML‐AIM produces physically accurate ionospheric potential patterns such as the two‐cell convection pattern and the enhancement of electric potentials during active times. The cross polar cap potentials (ΦPC) from ML‐AIM, the Weimer (2005, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004ja010884) model, and the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) data‐assimilated potentials, are compared to the ones from 3204 polar crossings of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F17 satellite, showing better performance of ML‐AIM than others. ML‐AIM is unique and innovative because it predicts ionospheric responses to the time‐varying solar wind and geomagnetic conditions, while the other traditional empirical models like Weimer (2005, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004ja010884) designed to provide a quasi‐static ionospheric condition under quasi‐steady solar wind/IMF conditions. Plans are underway to improve ML‐AIM performance by including a fully ML network of models of aurora precipitation and ionospheric conductance, targeting its characterization of geomagnetically active times.

A New Approach to the Ionosphere at Middle and Low Latitudes under the Geomagnetic Quiet Time of December 2019 by ICON and GOLD Observations

It has been found that the total electron content (TEC) and the ionospheric electric fields indicated by the geomagnetic data showed inconsistent changes with each other at the mid- and low latitudes in both the American and the Asian–Australian sectors during geomagnetic quiet time (GQT) from 30 November to 8 December 2019 (Kpmax = 1.7). Meanwhile, the effects of thermospheric compositions are still indistinct. In this work, we analyze the mid/low-latitude ionospheric variations during this period, utilizing multi-instrument observations. The vertical drift velocities from the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) show significant variations and are in line with the changes in TEC at low latitudes in both of the two sectors. The zonal electric fields are supposed to play the main role in the TEC changes. This is also confirmed by the ionospheric F2 layer parameters data from the ionosonde stations at Sanya in the Asian–Australian sectors. The correlation between the variations in the geomagnetic H component (ΔH) and ionospheric F-layer electric fields can be affected by solar activity levels. The geomagnetic data ΔH sometimes may not indicate the magnitude of the electric fields in the F-region ionosphere under geomagnetic quiet conditions. The column density ratio of atomic oxygen (O) to molecular nitrogen (N2) (∑O/N2) from the Global Scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) showed a strong enhancement at mid-latitudes in the American sector on 30 November. It is speculated that the neutral compositions should make a minor contribution to the changes in TEC during this event, compared with the electric fields.

Preseismic Ionospheric Electric Field Irregularities Detected by the Double Probes Method

Preseismic Ionospheric Electric Field Irregularities Detected by the Double Probes Method

Three-dimensional ionospheric conductivity associated with pulsating auroral patches: reconstruction from ground-based optical observations

Abstract. Pulsating auroras (PsAs) appear over a wide area within the aurora oval in the midnight–morning–noon sector. In previous studies, observations by magnetometers on board satellites have reported the presence of field-aligned currents (FACs) near the edges and interiors of pulsating aurora patches. PsAs are thus a key research target for understanding the magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling process. However, the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of the electric currents has yet to be clarified, since each satellite observation is limited to a single dimension along its orbit. This study's aim was a reconstruction of the 3-D structure of ionospheric conductivity, which is necessary to elucidate the 3-D ionospheric current. Tomographic analysis was used to estimate the 3-D ionospheric conductivity for rapidly changing auroral phenomena such as PsAs. The reconstructed Hall conductivity reached its maximum value of 1.4 × 10−3 S m−1 at 94 km altitude, while the Pedersen conductivity reached its maximum value of 2.6 × 10−4 S m−1 at 116 km altitude. A secondary peak in the Pedersen conductivity, due to electron motion, at 9.9 × 10−5 S m−1 appears at 86 km altitude. The electron Pedersen conductivity maximum value in the D region was approximately 38 % of the ion Pedersen conductivity maximum value in the E region. The FAC, derived under the assumption of a uniform ionospheric electric field, was approximately 70 µA m−2 near the edge of the PsA patch. This FAC value was approximately 10 times that observed by satellites in previous studies. If the conductivity around the patch is underestimated or the assumption of a uniform field distribution is incorrect, the FAC could be overestimated. By contrast, due to sharper boundary structures, the FAC could actually have had such a large FAC.