Nightside Reconnection Rate Research Articles

Solar Wind‐Magnetosphere Coupling During High‐Intensity Long‐Duration Continuous AE Activity (HILDCAA)

AbstractHigh‐Intensity Long‐Duration Continuous AE Activity (HILDCAA) intervals are driven by High Speed solar wind Streams (HSSs) during which the rapidly‐varying interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) produces high but intermittent dayside reconnection rates. This results in several days of large, quasi‐periodic enhancements in the auroral electrojet (AE) index. There has been debate over whether the enhancements in AE are produced by substorms or whether HILDCAAs represent a distinct class of magnetospheric dynamics. We investigate 16 HILDCAA events using the expanding/contracting polar cap model as a framework to understand the magnetospheric dynamics occurring during HSSs. Each HILDCAA onset shows variations in open magnetic flux, dayside and nightside reconnection rates, the cross‐polar cap potential, and AL that are characteristic of substorms. The enhancements in AE are produced by activity in the pre‐midnight sector, which is the typical substorm onset region. The periodicities present in the intermittent IMF determine the exact nature of the activity, producing a range of behaviors from a sequence of isolated substorms, through substorms which merge into one‐another, to almost continuous geomagnetic activity. The magnitude of magnetic fluctuations, dB/dt, in the pre‐midnight sector during HSSs is sufficient to produce a significant risk of Geomagnetically Induced Currents.

Changes in the Magnetic Field Topology and the Dayside/Nightside Reconnection Rates in Response to a Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Front: A Case Study

AbstractOne of the most significant observations associated with a sharp enhancement in solar wind dynamic pressure, , is the poleward expansion of the auroral oval and the closing of the polar cap. The polar cap shrinking over a wide range of magnetic local times (MLTs), in connection with an observed increase in ionospheric convection and the transpolar potential, led to the conclusion that the nightside reconnection rate is significantly enhanced after a pressure front impact. However, this enhanced tail reconnection has never been directly measured. We demonstrate the effect of a solar wind dynamic pressure front on the polar cap closure, and for the first time, measure the enhanced reconnection rate in the magnetotail, for a case occurring during southward background Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) conditions. We use Polar Ultra‐Violet Imager (UVI) measurements to detect the location of the open‐closed field line boundary, and combine them with Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics (AMIE) potentials to calculate the ionospheric electric field along the polar cap boundary, and thus evaluate the variation of the dayside/nightside reconnection rates. We find a strong response of the polar cap boundary at all available MLTs, exhibiting a significant reduction of the open flux content. We also observe an immediate response of the dayside reconnection rate, plus a phased response, delayed by ∼15–20 min, of the nightside reconnection rate. Finally, we provide comparison of the observations with the results of the Open Geospace General Circulation Model (OpenGGCM), elucidating significant agreements and disagreements.

Time-scale dependence of solar wind-based regression models of ionospheric electrodynamics

The solar wind influence on geospace can be described as the sum of a directly driven component, or dayside reconnection, and an unloading component, associated with the release of magnetic energy via nightside reconnection. The two processes are poorly correlated on short time scales, but exactly equal when averaged over long time windows. Because of this peculiar property, regression models of ionospheric electrodynamics that are based on solar wind data are time scale specific: Models derived from 1 min resolution data will be different from models derived from hourly, daily, or monthly data. We explain and quantify this effect on simple linear regression models of various geomagnetic indices. We also derive a time scale-dependent correction factor that can be used with the Average Magnetic field and Polar current System model. Finally, we show how absolute estimates of the nightside reconnection rate can be calculated from solar wind measurements and geomagnetic indices.

Examining Local Time Variations in the Gains and Losses of Open Magnetic Flux During Substorms

AbstractThe open magnetic flux content of the magnetosphere varies during substorms as a result of dayside and nightside reconnection. The open flux can be calculated from the area of the polar cap, delineated by the open‐closed field line boundary (OCB). This study presents a superposed epoch analysis of the location of the OCB and the change in the magnetic flux content in individual nightside MLT sectors during substorm growth, expansion, and recovery phases. Far ultraviolet (FUV) observations from the IMAGE satellite are used to derive a proxy of the OCB location. In the hour prior to substorm onset, the total nightside flux content increases by up to 0.12 GWb on average, resulting in an equatorward expansion of the OCB. Following substorm onset, the OCB contracts toward the pole as the open magnetic flux content decreases by up to 0.14 GWb on average, but the rate of decrease of the total nightside open flux content differs by 5–66% between the three IMAGE far ultraviolet instruments. The OCB does not contract poleward uniformly in all nightside magnetic local time (MLT) sectors after substorm onset. Close to the substorm onset MLT sector, the OCB contracts immediately following substorm onset; however, the OCB in more dawnward and duskward MLT sectors continues to expand equatorward for up to 120 minutes after substorm onset. Despite the continued increase in flux in these sectors after substorm onset, the total nightside flux content decreases immediately at substorm onset, indicating that the nightside reconnection rate exceeds the dayside rate following substorm onset.

Evolution of Asymmetrically Displaced Footpoints During Substorms

AbstractIt is well established that a transverse (y) component in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) induces a By component in the closed magnetosphere through asymmetric loading and/or redistribution of magnetic flux. Simultaneous images of the aurora in the two hemispheres have revealed that conjugate auroral features are displaced longitudinally during such conditions. Although the direction and magnitude of this displacement show correlations with IMF clock angle and dipole tilt, single events show large temporal and spatial variability of this displacement. For instance, we know little about how the displacement changes during a substorm. A previous case study demonstrated that displaced auroral forms, associated with the prevailing IMF orientation, returned to a more symmetric configuration during the expansion phase of two substorms. Using the far ultraviolet cameras on board the Imager for Magnetopause‐to‐Aurora Global Exploration and Polar satellites, we have identified multiple events where conjugate auroral images are available during periods with substorm activity and IMF By≠0. We identify conjugate auroral features and investigate how the asymmetry evolves during the expansion phase. We find that the system returns to a more symmetric state in the events with a clear increase in the nightside reconnection rate and that the displacement remains unchanged in the events with little or no net closure of open magnetic flux. The return to a more symmetric state can therefore be interpreted as the result of increased reconnection rate in the magnetotail during the expansion phase, which reduces the asymmetric lobe pressure.

The 17 March 2013 storm: Synergy of observations related to electric field modes and their ionospheric and magnetospheric Effects

AbstractThe main phase of the 17 March 2013 storm had excellent coverage from ground‐based instruments and from low‐ and high‐altitude spacecraft, allowing for evaluation of the relations between major storm time phenomena that are often considered separately. The shock impact with its concurrent southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) immediately drove dramatic poleward expansion of the poleward boundary of the auroral oval (implying strong nightside reconnection), strong auroral activity, and strong penetrating midlatitude convection and ionospheric currents. This was followed by periods of southward IMF driving of electric fields that were at first relatively smooth as often employed in storm modeling but then became extremely bursty and structured associated with equatorward extending auroral streamers. The auroral oval did not expand much further poleward during these two latter periods, suggesting a lower overall nightside reconnection rate than that during the first period and approximate balance with dayside reconnection. Characteristics of these three modes of driving were reflected in horizontal and field‐aligned currents. Equatorward expansion of the auroral oval occurred predominantly during the structured convection mode, when electric fields became extremely bursty. The period of this third mode also approximately corresponded to the time of largest equatorward motion of the ionospheric trough, of apparent transport of high total electron content (TEC) features into the auroral oval from the polar cap, and of largest earthward injection of ions and electrons into the ring current. The enhanced responses of the aurora, currents, TEC, and the ring current indicate a common driving of all these storm time features during the bursty convection mode period.

Influence of ion outflow in coupled geospace simulations: 2. Sawtooth oscillations driven by physics‐based ion outflow

AbstractWe present the first simulations of magnetospheric sawtooth oscillations under steady solar wind conditions that are driven internally by heavy ion outflow from a physics‐based model. The simulations presented use the multifluid Lyon‐Fedder‐Mobarry magnetohydrodynamics model two‐way coupled to the ionosphere/polar wind model (IPWM). Depending on the type of wave‐particle interactions utilized within IPWM, the coupled simulations exhibit either sawtooth oscillations or steady magnetospheric convection. Contrasting the simulations that do and do not develop sawtooth oscillations yields insights into the relationship between outflow and sawtooth oscillations. The total outflow rate is not an adequate predictor of the convection mode that will emerge. The simulations that develop sawtooth oscillations are characterized by intense outflow concentrated in the midnight auroral region. This outflow distribution mass loads the tail reconnection region without excessively mass loading the dayside reconnection region and leads to an imbalance between the dayside and nightside reconnection rates.

A superposed epoch analysis of the regions 1 and 2 Birkeland currents observed by AMPERE during substorms

AbstractWe perform a superposed epoch analysis of the evolution of the Birkeland currents (field‐aligned currents) observed by the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) during substorms. The study is composed of 2900 substorms provided by the SuperMAG experiment. We find that the current ovals expand and contract over the course of a substorm cycle and that currents increase in magnitude approaching substorm onset and are further enhanced in the expansion phase. Subsequently, we categorize the substorms by their onset latitude, a proxy for the amount of open magnetic flux in the magnetosphere, and find that Birkeland currents are significantly higher throughout the epoch for low‐latitude substorms. Our results agree with previous studies which indicate that substorms are more intense and close more open magnetic flux when the amount of open flux is larger at onset. We place these findings in the context of previous work linking dayside and nightside reconnection rate to Birkeland current strengths and locations.

The relation between transpolar potential and reconnection rates during sudden enhancement of solar wind dynamic pressure: OpenGGCM‐CTIM results

AbstractThis study investigates how solar wind energy is deposited into the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system during sudden enhancements of solar wind dynamic pressure (Psw), using the coupled Open Geospace General Circulation Model–Coupled Ionosphere Thermosphere Model (OpenGGCM‐CTIM) 3‐D global magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere model. We simulate three unique events of solar wind pressure enhancements that occurred during negative, near‐zero, and positive interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz. Then, we examine the behavior of the dayside and nightside reconnection rates and quantify their respective contributions to cross polar cap potential (CPCP), a proxy of ionospheric plasma convection strength. The modeled CPCP increases after a Psw enhancement in all three cases, which agrees well with observations from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft and predictions from the assimilative mapping of ionospheric electrodynamics technique. In the OpenGGCM‐CTIM model, dayside reconnection increases within 9–13 min of the pressure impact, while nightside reconnection intensifies about 13–25 min after the pressure increase. As the strong Psw compresses the dayside magnetosheath and, subsequently, the magnetotail, their magnetic fields intensify and activate stronger antiparallel reconnection on the dayside magnetopause first and near the central plasma sheet second. For southward IMF, dayside reconnection contributes to the CPCP enhancement 2–4 times more than nightside reconnection. For northward IMF, the dayside contribution weakens, and nightside reconnection contributes more to the CPCP enhancement. We find that high‐latitude magnetopause reconnection during northward IMF produces sunward ionospheric plasma convection, which decreases the typical dawn‐to‐dusk ionosphere electric field. This results in a weaker dayside reconnection contribution to the CPCP during northward IMF.

Modeling Birkeland currents in the expanding/contracting polar cap paradigm

AbstractWe present a simple mathematical model of the region 1 and 2 Birkeland current system intensities for differing dayside and nightside magnetic reconnection rates, consistent with the expanding/contracting polar cap paradigm of solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling. The current intensities are shown to be dependent on the cross‐polar cap potential, which is the average of the dayside and nightside reconnection rates. Current intensities are expected to maximize on the dayside or the nightside when magnetopause or magnetotail reconnection dominates. Current intensities are also dependent on the ionospheric conductance, the width of the merging gaps, the width of the ionospheric convection return flow region, and on the size of the polar cap.

IMF effect on the polar cap contraction and expansion during a period of substorms

Abstract. The polar cap boundary (PCB) location and motion in the nightside ionosphere has been studied by using measurements from the EISCAT radars and the MIRACLE magnetometers during a period of four substorms on 18 February 2004. The OMNI database has been used for observations of the solar wind and the Geotail satellite for magnetospheric measurements. In addition, the event was modelled by the GUMICS-4 MHD simulation. The simulation of the PCB location was in a rather good agreement with the experimental estimates at the EISCAT longitude. During the first three substorm expansion phases, neither the local observations nor the global simulation showed any poleward motions of the PCB, even though the electrojets intensified. Rapid poleward motions of the PCB took place only in the early recovery phases of the substorms. Hence, in these cases the nightside reconnection rate was locally higher in the recovery phase than in the expansion phase. In addition, we suggest that the IMF Bz component correlated with the nightside tail inclination angle and the PCB location with about a 17-min delay from the bow shock. By taking the delay into account, the IMF northward turnings were associated with dipolarizations of the magnetotail and poleward motions of the PCB in the recovery phase. The mechanism behind this effect should be studied further.

Properties of outflow‐driven sawtooth substorms

The mechanisms by which ionospheric O+ stretches the plasma sheet causing variations in polar cap flux during magnetospheric sawtooth substorms are investigated using the multi‐fluid Lyon‐Fedder‐Mobarry simulation code. O+ outflow is induced in the simulation by Alfvénic Poynting flux flowing to low altitude during the sawtooth expansion and growth phases. The O+ fluid populates the plasma sheet and causes it to stretch tailward in response to the increased mass density. The ionospheric outflow thus functions as a feedback loop in the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system wherein O+ ions released during the expansion phase alter the magnetospheric configuration and enable the development of the next substorm. We also find that the nightside reconnection rate is strongly dependent on the position of the tail merging line. As the x‐line moves tailward, the inflow speed and magnetic field strength are reduced, creating an imbalance between dayside and nightside merging. This imbalance is responsible for the buildup and release of open magnetic flux in the magnetosphere during the sawtooth cycle.

Relationship between interplanetary parameters and the magnetopause reconnection rate quantified from observations of the expanding polar cap

Many studies have attempted to quantify the coupling of energy from the solar wind into the magnetosphere. In this paper we parameterize the dependence of the magnetopause reconnection rate on interplanetary parameters from the OMNI data set. The reconnection rate is measured as the rate of expansion of the polar cap during periods when the nightside reconnection rate is thought to be low, determined from observations by the Imager for Magnetopause‐to‐Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) Far Ultraviolet (FUV) imager. Our fitting suggests that the reconnection rate is determined by the magnetic flux transport in the solar wind across a channel approximately 4 RE in width, with a small correction dependent on the solar wind speed, and a clock angle dependence. The reconnection rate is not found to be significantly dependent on the solar wind density. Comparison of the modeled reconnection rate with SuperDARN measurements of the cross‐polar cap potential provides broad support for the magnitude of the predictions. In the course of the paper we discuss the relationship between the dayside reconnection rate and the cross‐polar cap potential.

EISCAT-Cluster observations of quiet-time near-Earth magnetotail fast flows and their signatures in the ionosphere

Abstract. We report observations of a sequence of quiet-time Earthward bursty bulk flows (BBFs) measured by the Cluster spacecraft in the near-tail plasma sheet (XGSM ~ −12 to −14 RE) in the evening sector, and by simultaneous high-resolution measurements in the northern conjugate ionosphere by the EISCAT radars, a MIRACLE all-sky camera and magnetometers, as well as a meridian-scanning photometer (MSP) in the Scandinavian sector on 17 October 2005. The BBFs at Cluster show signatures that are consistent with the plasma "bubble" model (Chen and Wolf, 1993, 1999), e.g. deflection and compression of the ambient plasma in front of the Earthward moving bubble, magnetic signatures of a flow shear region, and the proper flows inside the bubble. In addition, clear signatures of tailward return flows around the edges of the bubble can be identified. The duskside return flows are associated with significant decrease in plasma density, giving support to the recent suggestion by Walsh et al. (2009) of formation of a depleted wake. However, the same feature is not seen for the dawnside return flows, but rather an increase in density. In the ionosphere, EISCAT and optical measurements show that each of the studied BBFs is associated with an auroral streamer that starts from the vicinity of the polar cap boundary, intrudes equatorward, brakes at 68–70° aacgm MLAT and drifts westward along the proton oval. Within the streamer itself and poleward of it, the ionospheric plasma flow has an equatorward component, which is the ionospheric manifestation of the Earthward BBF channel. A sharp velocity shear appears at the equatorward edge of a streamer. We suggest that each BBF creates a local velocity shear in the ionosphere, in which the plasma flow poleward of and inside the streamer is in the direction of the streamer and southeastward. A northwestward return flow is located on the equatorward side. The return flow is associated with decreased plasma densities both in the ionosphere and in the magnetosphere as measured by EISCAT and Cluster, respectively. In summary, we present the first simultaneous high-resolution observations of BBF return flows both in the plasma sheet and in the ionosphere, and those are in accordance with the bubble model. The results apply for the duskside return flows, but the manifestation of dawnside return flows in the ionosphere requires further studies. Finally, EISCAT measurements indicate increased nightside reconnection rate during the ~35-min period of BBFs. We suggest that the observed temporal event of IMF rotation to a more southward direction produces enhanced open flux transport to the nightside magnetotail, and consequently, the nightside reconnection rate is increased.

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.

Open magnetic flux and magnetic flux closure during sawtooth events

We use IMAGE‐FUV observations of the polar aurora and measurements of the ionospheric convection from the SuperDARN radar network to study several sawtooth events previously reported in the literature. We estimate the amount of open magnetic flux in the Earth magnetosphere during a significant part of these sawtooth intervals as well as the magnetic flux opening and closure rates, that is, the dayside and nightside reconnection rates. We find that during the sawtooth intervals the magnetosphere is highly loaded with open flux as a result of the strongly southward IMF carried by the solar wind during these intervals. The magnetosphere tries to relax to a less loaded configuration through a sequence of substorm expansions. However, these substorms do not necessarily evolve to their end before reintensification of nightside reconnection occurs in response to continued loading of the magnetosphere on the dayside.

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.

Magnetic flux transport in the Dungey cycle: A survey of dayside and nightside reconnection rates

Changes in the open flux content of the ionospheric polar cap, estimated from auroral, radar, and low‐Earth orbit particle measurements, are used to determine dayside and nightside reconnection rates during 73 hours of observation spread over nine intervals. We identify 25 episodes of nightside reconnection and examine statistically the rates and durations of reconnection, as well as possible triggers for the onset of reconnection, such as changes in solar wind ram pressure or orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field. Approximately half of the events can possibly be identified with a trigger, the other half appearing spontaneous. On average 0.3 GWb of open flux are closed in each event, with average durations and reconnection rates being 70 min and 85 kV. We find no evidence for a low background rate of nightside reconnection between these events and conclude that substorms and other large reconnection bursts provide the major or only source of flux closure on the nightside.

Dayside and nightside reconnection rates inferred from IMAGE FUV and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network data

The spectrographic imager at 121.8 nm (SI12) of the far ultraviolet (FUV) experiment onboard the IMAGE spacecraft produces global images of the Doppler‐shifted Lyman α emission of the proton aurora. This emission is solely due to proton precipitation and is not contaminated by dayglow, allowing us to monitor the auroral oval on the dayside as well as on the nightside. Remote sensing of the polar aurora can be advantageously supplemented by use of ground‐based data from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) that monitors the ionospheric convective flow pattern in the polar region. In the present study, the SI12 images are used to determine the location of the open/closed field line boundary and to monitor its movement. The SuperDARN data are then used to compute the ionospheric electric field at the location of the open/closed boundary. The total electric field is then computed along the boundary accounting for its movement via Faraday's law so that the dayside and nightside reconnection voltages can be derived. This procedure is applied to several substorm intervals observed simultaneously with IMAGE FUV and SuperDARN. The dayside reconnection voltage feeds the magnetosphere with open flux, which is later closed by nightside reconnection. The calculated dayside reconnection rate is consistent with the solar wind properties measured by the Geotail, Wind, and ACE satellites. We identify the presence of nightside reconnection due to pseudobreakups taking place during the growth phase. In several cases, we establish that the nightside reconnection rate is maximum at the time of the substorm expansion phase onset or shortly after, reaching ∼120 kV, and then slowly returns to undisturbed values of ∼30 kV. The flux closure rate can also start intensifying prior to expansion phase onset, producing pseudobreakups.