Reconstruction of three-dimensional auroral ionospheric conductivities via an assimilative technique

Abstract:

Energy redistribution in the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere (MIT) system is largely controlled by a complex system of field-aligned, Hall, and Pedersen currents, and the electrodynamics underlying their distributions. Application of Ohm’s law to the auroral zone requires knowledge of the ionospheric conductivity, whose estimation has often been simplified by invoking Maxwellian behavior of the impacting particles and height independent conductance. Though these assumptions have allowed us to study height-integrated conductivities (conductances), they have also limited our ability to understand how the MIT system operates as a whole. We are now in a position to address conductivity variations, and thus energy redistribution, in three dimensions.

We present an objective analysis of the fully three-dimensional (3-D) ionospheric Hall and Pedersen auroral conductivities for the April 28 – May 4, 2011 high-speed stream event. We show: 1) a fundamental picture of ionospheric conductivity variability organized into 3-D empirical orthogonal functions [McGranaghan et al., 2015; manuscript in prep] and 2) an event reconstruction of the ionospheric conductivities. Figure 1 provides a proof of concept for part 1 by showing the first primary mode of variability (EOF1) of the Hall conductivity at four altitudes through the E- and lower F-regions. Our reconstruction relies on a data assimilation scheme that optimally combines Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite observations with an error covariance model created from the conductivity EOFs. We find significant 3-D structure in the ionospheric conductivities that can drastically modify the E- and lower F-region behavior. We suggest an exciting opportunity to extend these analyses to other data sets, such as the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC).