Examining the Effects of Including Evening Sector Proton Precipitation in Self-Consistent RCM Modeling of the Stormtime Sub-Auroral Electric Field

We have used the Rice Convection Model (RCM) to investigate the extent to which the inclusion of evening sector conductivity enhancements caused by proton precipitation equatorward of the diffuse electron aurora affects the location and strength of Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS). Typically, during magnetic storms, RCM calculations have indicated that there is a peak in the poleward-directed ionospheric electric field that is located at the transition from the low-conductance sub-auroral ionosphere to the high-conductance auroral ionosphere. Data from polar-orbiting spacecraft frequently show that the electric field peaks not at the low-latitude edge of the electron aurora, but a few degrees equatorward of that boundary. We will compare RCM model results for the March 31, 2001 magnetic storm with DMSP SSIES plasma drift data to evaluate the effects of proton-precipitation-produced conductivity enhancements on the agreement between model results and data.