Ionospheric absorption at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica during magnetic storms in early May, 1998

In the paper the high latitude ionospheric absorption events, monitored by an imaging riometer at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica, are examined during magnetic storms in early May, 1998. The storm absorption at ~0639 UT on May 2 was mainly an equatorward progressing absorption event, which were associated with a strong negative bay of the magnetic H component and with a large Pc3 range pulsation. There was a time lag of about 1. 5 hours between the onset of the ionospheric disturbance and the IMF southward turning in the solar wind. The event at 2222 UT on May 2 was a typical midnight absorption spike event. The absorption region took the form of an elongated strip with the length of 100 - 150 km and the width of 30 - 40 km. The absorption during 0830 - 1200 UT on May 6 was a polar cap absorption (PCA) event,caused by intense precipitation of high-energy protons erupted after a large solar flare explosion.

Magnetic Storm Effects in the Auroral Ionosphere Observed with EISCAT Radar-Two Case Studies

Storm-time changes of main plasma parameters in the auroral ionosphere are analyzed for two intense storms occurring on May 15, 1997 and Sept. 25, 1998, with emphasis on their relationship to the solar wind dynamic pressure and the IMFB z component. Strong hard particle precipitation occurred in the initial phase for both storms, associated with high solar wind dynamical pressure. During the recovery phase of the storms, some strong particle precipitation was neither concerned with high solar wind pressure nor southward IMFB z. Severe negative storm effects depicted by electron density depletion appeared in theF-region during the main and recovery phase of both storms, caused by intensive electric field-related strong Joule/frictional heating when IMF was largely southward. The ion temperature behaved similarly inE-andF-region, but the electron temperature did quite different, with a strong increase in the lowerE-region relating to plasma instability excited by strong electric field and a slight decrease in theF-region probably concerning with a cooling process. The field-aligned ion velocity was high and apparently anticorrelated with the northward component of the ion convection velocity.

Magnetic storms in Mercury's magnetosphere

We present evidence of geomagnetic storms in Mercury’s magnetosphere based on MESSENGER magnetic field observations made just before the probe impacted the planet.Our findings answer the question of whether geomagnetic storms can occur in other planetary magnetospheres.The interaction of the solar wind with Mercury’s magnetosphere is known to involve flux transfer events in the dayside magnetosphere,plasmoids and flux ropes in the magnetotail,and substorm-like processes,all of which occur morphologically similar to Earth but with significant differences.The significantly weaker magnetic field,smaller magnetosphere,and much faster timescale of processes around Mercury,when compared with Earth,enable charged particles to escape its magnetosphere more efficiently through magnetopause shadowing and direct bombard of the surface.Our analysis of MESSENGER’s data during a coronal mass ejection(CME)proves that,despite these substantial differences,a bifurcated ring current can form in Mercury’s magnetosphere that initiates magnetic storms under strong solar wind driving.

Storm-Time Ionospheric Disturbances Monitored by GPS Beacon Measurements

The Total Electron Content (TEC) during three great storms, from April to August 2000, was collected by means of a GPS receiver located in Jingzhou (30.4° N, 112.2° E). The time-latitude-dependent features of ionospheric storms are identified using TEC difference images based on the deviations of TEC during storm relative to quiet time. The responses of ionospheric TEC to magnetic storms were analyzed. The results show that: 1) In middle and low latitude, ionospheric storms effects are more apparent in local day time than at night: 2) Ionospheric storm effects are more dominant near the hump of the equatorial anomaly region than in other regions of TEC measurements; 3) The positive effects during the main phase of ionospheric storm may be caused by electric fields in low latitude; 4) During the recovery period of ionospheric storm, the negative phase of storm may be due to the perturbation of the neutral gas composition.

Numerical Simulation of Ionization Enhancement in the Topside Ionosphere of Cusp Foot-Point Region Caused by Low Energy Particle Precipitation

The Graz Ionospheric Flux Tube Simulations （GIFTS） has been improved. The improved GIFTS model was used to numerically investigate the energy particle precipitation on the distribution of electron density in the ionospheric cusp foot-point region under conditions of large plasma convection during magnetic storm. After including the effects of low energy incident particles, the ionospheric electron densities increase remarkably above altitude of -250 km, showing a peak at about 350 km. The percent enhancements of electron densities increase gradually with altitude, exceed- ing 60% near the upper boundary of the calculation. The calculated ionospheric F2-peak was remarkably enhanced and lifted up by the incident low energy electrons.

Large-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Observed by GPS Receivers in Antarctica

The paper examines the propagation direction and velocity of large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances （LST1Ds） during extreme geomagnetic storms in the 23rd solar cycle （e.g., October 2003 and November 2003 storms） using GPS observations. In the analysis, the time delay between the vertical total electron content （VTEC） structures at Scott Base, McMurdo, Davis and Casey GPS stations and the distance between these stations were the main parameters in the determination of LSTIDs propagation speed and direction. The observations during October and November 2003 storms show obvious time delay between the total electron content （TEC） enhancement signatures at these stations. The time delay suggests a movement of the ionospheric disturbances from higher to lower latitudes during the October storm with a velocity of 800-1 200 m/s and poleward propagation of LSTIDs during the November storm with a ve- locity of 300-400 m/s. The equatorward or poleward expansion of LSTIDs during the October and November 2003 storms is probably caused by the disturbances of the neutral temperature occurring close to the dayside convection throat or by the neutral wind oscillation induced by atmospheric gravity waves （AGW） launched from the aurora region.