Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Electrons Precipitation Dynamics and Ionospheric Conductance During Storms

Diffuse auroral electrons are important for magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling because they are a major energy source to the auroral ionosphere. We investigate how precipitating electrons modify the ionospheric conductivity and ionospheric electric potentials during magnetic storms. Our approach is to use (1) the magnetically and electrically self-consistent Rice Convection Model - Equilibrium (RCM-E) of the inner magnetosphere, (2) the SuperThermal Electron Transport (STET) model, and (3) the B3C transport model for electron-proton-hydrogen atom aurora in the ionosphere. We use parameterized rates of whistler-generated and plasmaspheric hiss electron pitch-angle scattering in the RCM-E to compute the primary precipitating differential electron fluxes. The STET model, that computes all sources and collisional processes in the ionosphere and inner magnetosphere, is used to modify to the RCM-E precipitating electron fluxes to account for multiple atmospheric reflections of electrons between conjugate hemispheres. Spectral properties of the STET-modified precipitating electrons at 500 km are used as the upper boundary input to the B3C transport model for calculating height-integrated conductance and profiles (over 90 to 500 km) of conductivity, energy deposition rates, and electron density. We compare simulated precipitating electron flux distributions, conductance, and electric field properties with measurements from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and Van Allen Probes satellites and Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar for storm events. We discuss the MI coupling effects on the redistribution of the inner magnetospheric electric field and the effects on transport of ring current particles.