SA23B-4069:
Correlation between Poynting flux and soft electron precipitation around the cusp region
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
Cheng Sheng1, Yue Deng1, Yi-Jiun Su2, Delores J Knipp3, Cheryl Y Huang2, Daniel M Ober2 and Robert J Redmon4,5, (1)University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States, (2)Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, NM, United States, (3)University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States, (4)Natl Geophysical Data Ctr, Boulder, CO, United States, (5)NOAA Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
Abstract:
Observations have revealed large Poynting flux and soft electron precipitation around the cusp region, which have strong impacts on the polar ionosphere/thermosphere. Simulations also confirmed that Poynting flux and soft electron precipitation significantly change the neutral density and dynamics around the cusp. Commonly the enhancement of Poynting flux and the enhancement of soft electron precipitation are expected to happen at the same time and same location. Through analyzing DMSP observation data, the correlation between them is found to be more complex. In some cases the time and locations of Poynting flux and soft electron precipitation enhancements are rather consistent, while are quite different in other cases. Several possible mechanisms for the different correlations have been investigated as well. This result will improve our understanding of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, especially in the cusp region.
