Characteristics of Meso-scale Plasma Perturbations in the High-Latitude Ionosphere
Abstract
A systematic investigation of meso-scale (100-600 km) plasma perturbations and accompanying electron precipitation and current in the high-latitude ionosphere is presented. These localized features are important for a more complete description of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling process. The ion drift, particle precipitation and magnetic field measurements from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F16, F17 and F18 satellite are utilized to identify and study these meso-scale features. The flow perturbation and the closure flow can be basically described by a Gaussian distribution in potential. The energetic electron precipitations are often collocated with a negative potential distribution with upward field-aligned currents near the center. A downward field=aligned current is located inside a positive potential distribution where energetic electron precipitations are seldom present. The extra energy deposition from these meso-scale features is estimated to be up to 30% of the maximum total Poynting flux. The characteristics of meso-scale structures in terms of the potential, conductance and field-align current provide a more complete picture of these coupled parameters and extra energy inputs into the ionosphere and the effective area over which the they are delivered.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMSA43B3191C
- Keywords:
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- 0358 Thermosphere: energy deposition;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- IONOSPHERE;
- 2431 Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions;
- IONOSPHERE;
- 2437 Ionospheric dynamics;
- IONOSPHERE