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The space hurricane is a newly discovered large-scale three-dimensional magnetic vortex structure that spans the polar ionosphere and magnetosphere. It has been suggested to open a fast energy transport channel for the solar wind to invade Earth’s magnetosphere under northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. It is, therefore, an important phenomenon to understand the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling process under northward IMF conditions. In this study, we report the three-dimensional ionospheric plasma properties of a space hurricane event in the Northern Hemisphere observed by multiple instruments. Based on the convection velocity observations from ground-based radars and polar satellites, we confirm that the major modulation to the polar cap convection called a space hurricane rotates clockwise at the altitude of the ionosphere. Ground-based incoherent scatter radar and polar satellite observations reveal four features associated with the space hurricane: 1) strong plasma flow shears and being embedded in a clockwise lobe convection cell; 2) a major addition to the total energy deposition in the ionosphere–thermosphere system by Joule heating; 3) downward ionospheric electron transport; and 4) multiple ion-temperature enhancements in the sunward velocity region, likely from the spiral arms of the space hurricane. These results present, first, the impact of space hurricane on the low-altitude ionosphere and provide additional insights on the magnetospheric impact on structuring in the polar ionosphere.
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Ion Heating in the Polar Cap Under Northwards IMF Bz
Abstract Joule heating deposits a significant amount of energy into the high‐latitude ionosphere and is an important factor in many magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling processes. We consider the relationship between localized temperature enhancements in polar cap measured with the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar‐North (RISR‐N) and the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Based on analysis of 10 years of data, RISR‐N most commonly observes ion heating in the noon sector under northwards IMF. We interpret heating events in that sector as being primarily driven by sunwards plasma convection associated with lobe reconnection. We attempt to model two of the observed temperature enhancements with a data‐driven first principles model of ionospheric plasma transport and dynamics, but fail to fully reproduce the ion temperature enhancements. However, evaluating the ion energy equation using the locally measured ion velocities reproduces the observed ion temperature enhancements. This result indicates that current techniques for estimating global plasma convection pattern are not adequately capturing mesoscale flows in the polar cap, and this can result in underestimation of the energy deposition into the ionosphere and thermosphere.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1452191
- PAR ID:
- 10374447
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
- Volume:
- 126
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 2169-9380
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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