SM32A-06
Global differences between moderate and large storms
Wednesday, 16 December 2015: 11:35
2018 (Moscone West)
Philip W Valek1,2, Natalia Buzulukova3, Mei-Ching Hannah Fok3, Jerry Goldstein2, Amy M Keesee4, David J McComas2 and Joseph D Perez5, (1)University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Physics & Astronomy, San Antonio, TX, United States, (2)Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States, (3)NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States, (4)West Virginia University, Physics and Astronomy, Morgantown, WV, United States, (5)Auburn University at Montgomery, Auburn, AL, United States
Abstract:
The current solar maximum has been relatively quiet compared to previous solar cycles. Whereas numerous moderate storms (Dst < -50 nT) have occurred, there have been only a small number of large (Dst < - 100 nT) and extreme (Dst < -200 nT) storms. Throughout this sequence of storms, the Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) mission has since 2008 observed the inner magnetosphere. TWINS consists of two ENA cameras flown aboard two separate spacecraft in Molniya orbits. TWINS images the ENA emissions from the inner magnetosphere across a broad range of energies (1 to 100 keV for H, 16 to 256 keV for O). This allows TWINS to observe the evolution in space and time of the trapped and precipitating particles most relevant for storm time dynamics on very high time scales (i.e., minutes). Here we will present the differences seen between moderate storms and the two large storms of 17 March 2015 (Dst < -223, St. Patrick's day storm) and 22 June 2015 (Dst < -195 nT). We will present composition-separated ENA observations of the inner magnetosphere covering the both the medium (1 to 30 keV) and high (30 to > 100 keV) energy ranges, and describe how the inner magnetosphere evolves during storm time.
