SA44A-03
Energy inputs in the polar cap during geomagnetic storms and the impacts on the ionosphere/thermosphere
Thursday, 17 December 2015: 16:30
2016 (Moscone West)
Yue Deng, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, United States, Cheng Sheng, University of Texas at Arlington, Physics, Arlington, TX, United States, Yanshi Huang, University of New Mexico Main Campus, Albuquerque, NM, United States and Cheryl Y Huang, Air Force Research Laboratory Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM, United States
Abstract:
Large Poynting flux has been observed in the polar cap by Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites during the main phase of the August 5, 2011 storm, the magnitude of which is comparable to that in the auroral zone. In order to understand the mechanisms for the observed large Poynting flux in the polar cap, the particle precipitation along DMSP satellite trajectory has been studied. Meanwhile, the global ionosphere-thermosphere model (GITM) has been run to examine the relative contribution of convection pattern and conductance to the polar cap Poynting flux enhancement. The influence of energy inputs in the polar cap including both Poynting flux and soft particle precipitation on the thermosphere has been examined through the analysis of the GRACE neutral density observations and GITM simulations with different forcings. This study will help to illustrate the mechanisms and impacts of the polar cap energy inputs.
