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Abstract Surface waves on Earth's magnetopause have a controlling effect upon global magnetospheric dynamics. Since spacecraft provide sparse in situ observation points, remote sensing these modes using ground‐based instruments in the polar regions is desirable. However, many open conceptual questions on the expected signatures remain. Therefore, we provide predictions of key qualitative features expected in auroral, ionospheric, and ground magnetic observations through both magnetohydrodynamic theory and a global coupled magnetosphere‐ionosphere simulation of a magnetopause surface eigenmode. These show monochromatic oscillatory field‐aligned currents (FACs), due to both the surface mode and its non‐resonant Alfvén coupling, are present throughout the magnetosphere. The currents peak in amplitude at the equatorward edge of the magnetopause boundary layer, not the open‐closed boundary as previously thought. They also exhibit slow poleward phase motion rather than being purely evanescent. We suggest the upward FAC perturbations may result in periodic auroral brightenings. In the ionosphere, convection vortices circulate the poleward moving FAC structures. Finally, surface mode signals are predicted in the ground magnetic field, with ionospheric Hall currents rotating perturbations by approximately (but not exactly) 90° compared to the magnetosphere. Thus typical dayside magnetopause surface modes should be strongest in the East‐West ground magnetic field component. Overall, all ground‐based signatures of the magnetopause surface mode are predicted to have the same frequency acrossL‐shells, amplitudes that maximize near the magnetopause's equatorward edge, and larger latitudinal scales than for field line resonance. Implications in terms of ionospheric Joule heating and geomagnetically induced currents are discussed.
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Transient Oscillations Near the Dayside Open‐Closed Boundary: Evidence of Magnetopause Surface Mode?
Abstract Geomagnetic pulsations in Pc5‐6 band (~3–20 min) are persistent feature of ULF activity at dayside high latitudes. Magnetopause surface eigenmodes may be suggested as potential mechanism of these pulsations. One might expect the ground response of these modes to be near ionospheric projection of the open‐closed field line boundary (OCB). Using data from instruments located at Svalbard we study transient geomagnetic response to impulsive “intrusion” of magnetosheath plasma into the dayside magnetosphere. These intrusions are triggered by modest changes of interplanetary magnetic field to southward, and observed as sudden shifts of equatorward red aurora boundary to lower latitudes and green line emission intensification. Each auroral disturbance is accompanied by burst of ~1.7–2.0‐mHz geomagnetic pulsations. Near‐cusp latitudinal structure of ULF pulsations is compared with instant location of equatorward boundary of the red aurora, assumed to be a proxy of the OCB. Optical OCB latitude has been identified using data from the meridian scanning photometer. The latitudinal maximum of the transient geomagnetic response tends to be located near disturbed OCB proxy, within the error ~1°–2° of the photometer and magnetometer methods. Recorded transient pulsations may be associated with the ground image of the magnetopause surface mode harmonic. Theoretical consideration indicates that after an initial excitation, surface large‐scale mode converts into localized Alfvén oscillations and thus can exist for limited time only. Therefore, MHD surface modes in realistic inhomogeneous plasma cannot be considered in isolation, but as a combined system of modes with discrete and continuous spectra with irreversible transformation between them.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1744828
- PAR ID:
- 10372493
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
- Volume:
- 124
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 2169-9380
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 9058-9074
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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