High-latitude coupling processes between thermospheric circulation and solar wind driven magnetospheric currents and plasma convection

• Applicants: Dr. Matthias Förster; Professor Dr. Matthias Holschneider
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2010 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 159830435

• Final Report Year: 2015

Final Report Abstract

The solar­terrestrial relations and the coupling between the magnetosphere and ionosphere/thermosphere was the subject of the present study. These interactions and dependencies have been analyzed in various ways using both ground­based measurements and satellite observations. The works focused primarily on auroral and polar latitudes, but comprised also the global frame, at least with respect to the UAM model simulation efforts, because any local source has implications for the behaviour of the whole system. The statistical studies of the high­latitude magnetospheric convection for various solar wind and IMF conditions using the electron drift observations (EDI) of the Cluster S/Cs and the similar analysis of CHAMP accelerometer measurements to deduce the cross­track thermospheric winds at high latitudes have some novelty in this field of research insofar as the tight coupling of solar wind conditions and their influence on both ionized and neutral components in the high latitude and high­altitude region could be shown. The North­South differences are a further, very intriguing subject that needs further study. We started with global numerical simulation efforts to better understand the observations and to come to more profound physical conclusions in the interpretation of the data. This work deserves continuation, because of many open questions, which have been indicated already in each of the previous sections. These questions are challenges for the further development of our global numerical modelling tools (as the UAM) and they will be posed to the data analyses of new satellite missions like the Swarm constellation that has be launched recently. These efforts will help to solve open questions of space weather prediction.

Publications

• (2011), “High­latitude thermospheric winds: Satellite data and model calculations”, Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 5, 3, 439­446
  Förster, M., Namgaladze, A. A., Doronina, E. N. and Prokhorov, B. E.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990793111030043)
• (2011), “The generator system of field­aligned currents during the April 06, 2000, superstorm”, Adv. Space Res., 48, 7, 1172­1183
  Mishin, V. M., Förster, M., Kurikalova, M. A., and Mishin, V.V.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2011.05.029)
• (2011): “Thermospheric vorticity at high geo­ magnetic latitudes from CHAMP data and its IMF dependence”, Ann. Geophys., 29, 1, 181­186
  Förster, M., Haaland, S. E., and Doornbos, E.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-29-181-2011)
• (2012): "Estimating the capture and loss of cold plasma from ionospheric outflow", J. Geophys. Res., 117, A07311
  Haaland, S., A. Eriksson, E. Engwall, B. Lybekk, H. Nilsson, A. Pedersen, K. Svenes, M. André, M. Förster, K. Li, C. Johnsen, and N. Østgaard
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JA017679)
• (2012): “F2­region atmospheric gravity waves due to high­power HF heating and subauroral polarization streams”, Geophys. Res. Letters, 39, 11
  Mishin, E., Sutton, E., Milikh, G., Galkin, I., Roth, C., and Förster, M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL052004)
• (2012): “Numerical modeling of solar wind influences on the dynamics of the high­latitude upper atmosphere”, Adv. Radio Sci., 10, 299­312
  Förster, M., Prokhorov, B. E., Namgaladze, A. A., and Holschneider, M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.5194/ars­10­299­2012)
• (2013): Some aspects of modelling the high­latitude ionospheric convection from Cluster/EDI data. Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, 53, 1, 85­95
  Förster, M., Feldstein, Ya. I., Dremukhina, L. A., Levititn, A. E., and Haaland, S. E.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1134/S001679321301009X)
• (2013): “Electromagnetic Drivers in the Upper Atmosphere: Observations and Modeling”, In: Bychkov, V.; Golubkov, G.; Nikitin, A. (Eds.), The Atmosphere and Ionosphere ­ Elementary Processes, Discharges and Plasmoids, Springer, 165­219
  Namgaladze, A. A., Förster, M., Prokhorov, B. E., and Zolotov, O. V.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2914-8_4)
• (2013): “Upper atmosphere differences between northern and sou­ thern high latitudes: the role of magnetic field asymmetry”, J. Geophys. Res., 118, 9, 5951­5966
  Förster, M. and Cnossen, I.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/jgra.50554)
• (2014): “Using MFACE as input in the UAM to specify the MIT dynamics”, J. Geophys. Res., 119, 8, 6704­6714
  Prokhorov, B. E., Förster, M., He, M., Namgaladze, A. A., Holschneider, M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA019981)