Ionosphere-Plasmasphere coupling using the ionosphere-plasmasphere-electrodynamics (IPE) model

Abstract:

A close connection between ionospheric SEDs and plasmaspheric plumes has been reported during the main phase of magnetic storms in previous studies. The temporal and spatial variation of the connection has not yet been studied in detail, as the plasmas in ionosphere and plasmasphere get redistributed dynamically during various phases of a storm. Furthermore, how the Ionosphere-Plasmasphere coupling depends on the types of the solar wind driving conditions has not yet been studied. A newly developed global three dimensional ionosphere-plasmasphere-electrodynamics (IPE) model is used to address the coupling between the ionosphere and plasmasphere. IPE model has reproduced the Storm Enhanced Density plume feature in TEC being transported into cusp and over the pole, characterized as the Tongue of Ionization (TOI). Furthermore, the same simulation reveals the plasmaspheric plume like structure in the magnetospheric equatorial plane. Our simulations suggest that neither SAPS nor midlatitude SED bulge is essential in reproducing the SED plume-like features. A term analysis of the ion continuity equations in the IPE model has indicated that the SED plume/TOI feature observed in the ionosphere is produced due primarily to a combination of plasma transport and production/loss, which is supportive of previous studies. However, the plasmaspheric plume responds differently to that of the ionospheric plume depending on the various setting of the numerical experiments. The results indicate a need of a careful examination of the relative importance of the plasma transport between the parallel and perpendicular directions to the magnetic field in both the ionosphere and plasmasphere. In this presentation, we will compare how the ionosphere-plasmasphere coupling depends on the solar wind driving conditions for the selected campaign events.