Subauroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) are associated with closure of region 2 field‐aligned current (R2 FAC) through the low conductivity region. Although SAPS have often been studied from a magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling perspective, recent observations suggest strong interaction also exists between SAPS and the thermosphere. Our study focuses on thermospheric wind driving and its impact on SAPS and R2 FAC during the 17 March 2013 geomagnetic storm using both observations and the physics‐based Rice Convection Model‐Coupled Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Plasmasphere, electrodynamics (RCM‐CTIPe) model that self‐consistently couples the magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere system. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)‐18 and Gravity Field and Steady‐State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite observations show that, as the storm progresses, sunward ion flows intensify and expand equatorward and are accompanied by strengthening of subauroral neutral winds with some delay. Our model successfully reproduces time evolution and overall structure of the sunward ion drift and neutral wind. A force term analysis is performed to investigate the momentum transfer to the neutrals from the ions. Contrary to previous studies showing that Coriolis force is the main driver of neutrals during storm time, we find that the ion drag is the largest force driving westward neutral wind in the SAPS region where the ion density is low in the trough region. Furthermore, simulations with and without the neutral wind dynamo effect are compared to quantify the effect of the neutral to plasma flow. The comparison shows that the self‐consistent active ionosphere thermosphere coupling increases the R2 FAC and the westward ion drift equatorward of the SAPS region by 20% and 40% by the flywheel effect, respectively.
During space weather events, a large amount of energy and momentum from the solar wind inputs into the ionosphere‐thermosphere. A critical question is that if the solar wind‐magnetosphere interaction drives only the open field region in the polar caps, how the solar wind energy and momentum are transmitted to the low latitude and equatorial ionosphere. This important issue has been studied over decades and is still poorly understood, impeding space weather forecasting ability. Here we use our newly developed 2.5‐D ionosphere‐thermosphere simulation model that self‐consistently solves the density, velocity, and temperature for electrons, multiple ion and neutral species, and electromagnetic fields to study this challenging problem. The focus of the present study is on the prompt response of the ionosphere to a convection disturbance from the polar magnetosphere. The longer time scale responses caused by the neutral winds from the polar caps will be the topic of future studies. We show that the momentum is transferred from polar to equatorial ionosphere predominately by fast magnetosonic waves, and propagation of perturbations from the source region experiences delay, damping, and substantial reflection, and the ionosphere/thermosphere behaves like a low‐band‐pass filter. The finding from this study sheds new insight onto coupling processes within the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1702134
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10445708
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
- Volume:
- 124
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 2169-9380
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 6064-6073
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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