Extreme Driving of Reverse Convection During Strongly Northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field

Abstract:

A variety of statistical studies have shown that the ionospheric polar potential produced by solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere coupling is linear for weak to moderate solar wind driving, but becomes non-linear during periods of very strong driving. It has been shown that this applies to the two-cell convection potential that develops during southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and also to the reverse convection cells that develop during northward IMF. This has been described as polar potential saturation and it appears to begin when the driving solar wind electric field becomes greater than 3 mV/m. It has also been shown that the summer ionospheric electric field saturates at about the same value (20 mV/m) for both northward or southward IMF. Recent measurements of the high latitude convection on September 12 - 13, 2014 using the Resolute Incoherent Scatter Radar during periods of large northward IMF show ionospheric electric fields varying between 56 mV/m and 156 mV/m within the dayside reverse convection cells. There is no indication of saturation during these periods of very strong driving. A second set of observations during June 22-24, 2015 of a CME interaction with the Earth’s magnetosphere that also produced large northward IMF during the time period when RISR could measure the dayside reverse convection is also investigated. Factors beyond the strength of the driving electric field must play a role in the process that produces polar potential saturation, at least for the case of reverse convection. Results of an investigation of these additional factors will be discussed.