Generation of long-period regular pulsations in the magnetosphere during SC

Pulsations in the electron fluxes and magnetic field on two geosynchronous satellites and at several ground-based observatories have been studied. Relativistic electron flux pulsations with a period of 6 min originated after the shock arrival from the solar wind at 0258 UT on February 11, 2000, had a regular character, and propagated from the dayside to the nightside at a velocity of about 60 deg min^?1. Magnetic field oscillations on the satellites and on the Earth had a more complicated structure. Field oscillations morphologically similar to electron oscillations are observed only on one satellite in one component and at one-two ground-based stations, where a periodicity of 10–12 min was mainly observed. It is assumed that magnetic pulsations are Alfvén resonances generated by a fast magnetosonic wave.     

Nonstationary pearl pulsations as a signature of magnetospheric disturbances

We analyse long-lasting (several hours) Pc1 pearl pulsations with decreasing, increasing or constant central frequencies. We show that nonstationary pearl events (those with either decreasing or increasing central frequency) are observed simultaneously with increasing auroral magnetic activity at the nightside magnetosphere while the stationary events (constant central frequency) correspond to quiet magnetic conditions. Events with decreasing central frequency are observed mostly in the late morning and daytime whereas events with increasing central frequency appear either early in the morning or in the afternoon. We explain the diurnal distribution of the nonstationary pearl pulsations in terms of proton drifts depending on magnetic activity, and evaluate the magnetospheric electric field based on the variation of the central frequency of pearl pulsations.     

Variations in the ULF index of daytime geomagnetic pulsations during recurrent magnetic storms

A new index of wave activity (ULF index) is applied to analyze daytime magnetic pulsations in the Pc5 range (f = 2–7 mHz) during ten successive recurrent magnetic storms (CIR (corotating interaction region) storms) of 2006. The most intense daytime geomagnetic Pc5 pulsations on the Earth’s surface in all phases of CIR storms are predominantly observed in the pre-noon sector at latitudes higher than 70°, while those in CME storms (storms initiated by coronal mass ejection (CME)) are observed at latitudes lower than 70°. A comparison of wave activity during CIR and CME storms has shown that the amplitude of Pc5 pulsations in CIR storms is much smaller than that in CME storms and the spectrum maximum is observed at lower frequencies and higher latitudes. At the same time, the mechanism of ULF wave generation during both types of magnetic storms seems to be similar, namely, resonance of magnetic field lines due to the development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability caused by an approach of a high-velocity solar wind stream to the Earth’s magnetosphere. Since resonance oscillations are excited only in the closed magnetosphere, the higher-latitude position of the Pc5 pulsation intensity maximum in CIR storms points to larger dimensions of the daytime magnetosphere during CIR storms as compared to CME storms.     

Planetary distribution of geomagnetic pulsations during a geomagnetic storm at solar minimum

We investigate the features of the planetary distribution of wave phenomena (geomagnetic pulsations) in the Earth’s magnetic shell (the magnetosphere) during a strong geomagnetic storm on December 14–15, 2006, which is untypical of the minimum phase of solar activity. The storm was caused by the approach of the interplanetary magnetic cloud towards the Earth’s magnetosphere. The study is based on the analysis of 1-min data of global digital geomagnetic observations at a few latitudinal profiles of the global network of ground-based magnetic stations. The analysis is focused on the Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations, whose frequencies fall in the band of 1.5–7 mHz (T ～ 2–10 min), on the fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and in the solar wind density in this frequency band. It is shown that during the initial phase of the storm with positive IMF Bz, most intense geomagnetic pulsations were recorded in the dayside polar regions. It was supposed that these pulsations could probably be caused by the injection of the fluctuating streams of solar wind into the Earth’s ionosphere in the dayside polar cusp region. The fluctuations arising in the ionospheric electric currents due to this process are recorded as the geomagnetic pulsations by the ground-based magnetometers. Under negative IMF Bz, substorms develop in the nightside magnetosphere, and the enhancement of geomagnetic pulsations was observed in this latitudinal region on the Earth’s surface. The generation of these pulsations is probably caused by the fluctuations in the field-aligned magnetospheric electric currents flowing along the geomagnetic field lines from the substorm source region. These geomagnetic pulsations are not related to the fluctuations in the interplanetary medium. During the main phase of the magnetic storm, when fluctuations in the interplanetary medium are almost absent, the most intense geomagnetic pulsations were observed in the dawn sector in the region corresponding to the closed magnetosphere. The generation of these pulsations is likely to be associated with the resonance of the geomagnetic field lines. Thus, it is shown that the Pc5 pulsations observed on the ground during the magnetic storm have a different origin and a different planetary distribution.     

Intermittency in midlatitude Pi2 pulsations observed during magnetospheric substorms and in the absence of these phenomena

The results of studying the distribution character of the amplitudes and time intervals between wave packets of Pi2 geomagnetic pulsations, observed during the nighttime development of magnetospheric substorms and in the absence of these phenomena, have been presented. The analog records from the midlatitude Borok Geophysical Observatory (geographic coordinates φ = 58.03°; λ = 38.97°) for 1995 and 1997 have been used to analyze Pi2 pulsations. Three groups of pulsations have been analyzed: Pi2 observed during sub-storms related to the external impact on the magnetosphere, Pi2 spontaneously originating during substorms, and Pi2 observed in the absence of substorms on the nightside of the magnetosphere. Interplanetary magnetic field B _y and B _z components and the solar wind dynamic pressure (ρV ²) have been considered as possible triggers of magnetospheric substorms. It has been indicated that the distributions of the amplitude and the duration of time intervals between Pi2 bursts are approximated by the power and exponential functions, respectively, which is typical of intermittent processes. The hypothesis that the processes of magnetospheric plasma turbulization can be among the Pi2 pulsation burst sources has been put forward. It is assumed that the obtained characteristic values can be used to qualitatively estimate the degree of plasma turbulence on the nightside of the magnetosphere when a sequence of Pi2 wave packets is excited.     

Daytime quasiperiodic geomagnetic pulsations during the recovery phase of the strong magnetic storm of May 15, 2005

Intense quasimonchromatic geomagnetic pulsations with a period of ～15 min, observed on the Earth’s surface in the near-noon sector at the beginning of the recovery phase of a very strong (Dst _min = ?260 nT) magnetic storm of May 15, 2005, are analyzed. The variations were registered at auroral latitudes only in the X field component, and wave activity shifted into the postnoon sector of the polar cap an hour later; in this case pulsations were observed in the X and Y field components. Within the magnetosphere the source of magnetic pulsations could be the surface waves on the magnetopause caused by the pulse of the solar wind magnetic pressure. Geomagnetic pulsations in the polar cap, observed in phase at different latitudes, could apparently reflect quasiperiodic variations in the NBZ system of field-aligned currents. Such variations can originate due to the series of pulsed reconnections in the postnoon outer cusp at large (～20 nT) positive B _z values and large (about ?40 nT) negative values of IMF B _x .     

Geomagnetic pulsations and magnetic disturbances during the initial phase of a strong magnetic storm of May 15, 2005

A very strong magnetic storm of May 15, 2005, was caused by an interplanetary magnetic cloud that approached the Earths’ orbit. The sheath region of this cloud was characterized by a high solar wind density (～25–30 cm^?3) and velocity (～850 km/s) and strong variations (to ～20 nT) in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). It has been indicated that an atypical bay-like geomagnetic disturbance was observed during the initial phase of this storm in a large longitudinal region at high latitudes: from the morning to evening sectors of the geomagnetic local time. Increasing in amplitude, the magnetic bay rapidly propagated to the polar cap latitudes up to the geomagnetic pole. An analysis of the global space-temporal dynamics of geomagnetic pulsations in the frequency band 1–6 mHz indicated that most intense oscillations were observed in the morning sector in the region of the equivalent ionospheric current at latitudes of about 72°–76°. The wavelet structure of magnetic pulsations in the polar cap and fluctuations in IMF was generally similar to the maximum at frequencies lower than 4 mHz. This can indicate that waves directly penetrated into the polar cap from the solar wind.     

The “fan” instability as a possible generating mechanism of vlf quarter-gyrofrequency emissions during the recovery phase of a magnetospheric storm

Summary VLF quarter-gyrofrequency emissions, whose experimental characteristics differ from those of discrete plasmaspheric emissions usual during active times, have been observed by low-altitude Intercosmos 24 and Magion 2 satellites within the plasmasphere during periods of quieting geomagnetic activity. A new kind of instability is proposed which could lead to the production of these emissions. It is shown that quasi-electrostatic whistler waves can be generated in the eqquatorial region due to the fan instability, with maximum growth rate and spectral energy density in a frequency band below one half of the equatorial electron gyrofrequency. The observations of low-energy electrons and plasma waves in the equatorial region within or in the vicinity of the plasmapause, which could support our hypothesis experimentally, are discussed.     

Constant auroral forms during regular pulsations

A case is described in which complex auroral forms varied slightly at Lovozero Observatory over the course of more than an hour in the morning hours during the auroral recovery phase. Pc3 and Pc5 auroral and geomagnetic pulsations were observed during the event. The phenomenon is compared with recurrent pulsating auroras, which are described in the literature.     

Long-period geomagnetic pulsations in the quasi-conjugate arctic and antarctic regions during the magnetic storm of April 16–17, 1999

Based on the observations in six pairs of almost conjugate high-latitude stations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, the spectral and spatial-temporal structures of long-period geomagnetic pulsations (f = 2–5 mHz) during the magnetic storm of April 16–17, 1999, which is characterized by a high (up to 20 nPa) solar wind dynamic pressure, have been studied. It has been indicated that the magnetic storm sudden commencement is accompanied by a symmetrical excitation of np pulsations near the dayside polar cusps with close amplitudes. Under the conditions when IMF B _z > 0 and B _y < 0, strong magnetic field variations with the periods longer than 15–20 min were observed only in the northern polar cap. When IMF B _z and B _y became close to zero, geomagnetic pulsation bursts in both hemispheres were registered simultaneously but differed in the spectral composition and spatial distribution. In the Northern Hemisphere, pulsations were as a rule observed in a more extensive latitude region than in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the oscillation amplitude maximum was observed at higher latitudes than in the Southern Hemisphere. The pulsation amplitude at geomagnetic latitude lower than 74° was larger in the Arctic Regions than in the Antarctic Regions. This can be explained by sharply different geographic longitudes in the polar cap and latitudes in the auroral zone, which results in a different ionospheric conductivity affecting the amplitude of geomagnetic pulsations.     

A case study of storm commencement and recovery plasmaspheric electric fields near L=2.5 at equinox

Data from the VLF Doppler experiment at Faraday, Antarctica (65○ S, 64○ W) are used to study the penetration of the high-latitude convection electric field to lower latitudes during severely disturbed conditions. Alterations of the electric field at L-values within the range 2.0 - 2.7 are studied for two cases at equinox (10 - 12 September 1986 and 1 - 3 May 1986). The recovery of the electric field is found to be approximately an exponential function of time. Values for the equatorial meridional E×B drift velocity, inferred from the data, are used as inputs to a model of the plasmasphere and ionosphere. The model and experimental results are used to investigate the post-storm alteration of ionospheric coupling processes. The magnitude of the effect of ionosphere-plasmasphere coupling fluxes on N_mF2 values and the O⁺-H⁺ transition height is dependent on the local time of storm commencement, and on the orientation of the electric field. The coupling fluxes appear to have a maximum influence on ionospheric content during the main phase of geomagnetic activity that produces outward motion of plasmaspheric whistler ducts.     

Geomagnetic (MIE) and storm sudden commencement (SSC) impulses in a high-latitude magnetosphere

Amplitude regularities, intermittence statistics, and conditions of generation of magnetic (mag- netic impulse event, MIE) and geomagnetic storm sudden commencement (SSC) impulses were compara- tively analyzed. Common and different properties of MIE and SSC impulses observed in a high-latitude mag- netosphere were detected. It was shown that MIE impulses are observed against a background of relatively stable interplanetary medium parameters and mostly when the IMF sector structure is negative. SSC impulses are observed against a background of sharply increasing solar wind and IMF parameters and when the IMF sector structure is positive. The amplitude dynamics, depending on the geomagnetic latitude of MIE and SSC impulses relative to the noon meridian, as well as in the daytime and nighttime MLT sectors, is sim- ilar. The dynamics of the intermittence indices (α), depending on the geomagnetic latitude of MIE and SSC impulses in the same MLT sectors, is antiphase. Independently of the IMF sector structure, the amplitudes of MIE and SSC impulses increase with increasing geomagnetic latitude, and the intermittence indices change in antiphase. It is assumed that the degree of plasma turbulence at the front boundary of magneto- sphere at moderate geomagnetic activity is relatively high and sufficient for the generation of MIE impulsive regimes. At the same time, SSC impulses originate at a lower turbulence level in the subsolar magnetospheric region but under the external action of solar wind inhomogeneities on the magnetosphere.     

Pc3 pulsations during variable IMF conditions

Pc3 geomagnetic field fluctuations detected at low latitude (L’Aquila, Italy) during the passage of a high velocity solar wind stream, characterized by variable interplanetary magnetic field conditions, are analyzed. Higher frequency resonant fluctuations and lower frequency phenomena are simultaneously observed; the intermittent appearance and the variable frequency of the longer period modes can be well interpreted in terms of the variable IMF elements; moreover their polarization characteristics are consistent with an origin related to external waves propagating in antisunward direction. A comparison with simultaneous observations performed at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica) provides additional evidence for a clear relationship between the IMF and Pc3 pulsations also at very high latitudes.     

Generation of magnetic field Pc5 pulsations and particle fluxes during the recovery phase of a magnetic storm on October 31, 2003

The spatial structure of intensive Pc5 pulsations of the geomagnetic field and riometer absorption during the recovery phase of a strong magnetic storm that occurred on October 31, 2003, have been considered in detail. The global structure of disturbances has been analyzed based on a global network of magnetometers and riometers supplemented by the data of magnotometers and particle detectors on geostationary satellites GOES and LANL. The local spatial structure was studied by the data of a regional network of Finland vertical riometers and the stations at the IMAGE magnetic network. Quasiperiodic variations in the magnetic field and riometer absorption are generally similar and have a close frequency composition; nevertheless, their local spatial structures are different, as a result of which the concept that riometer absorption pulsations represent a purely modulation process is doubtful. It is assumed that the observed variations are oscillations of two related systems: the magnetospheric MHD waveguide/resonator and systems including cyclotron noise and electrons. Geomagnetic Pc5 oscillations during the recovery phase of a strong magnetic storm supposedly result from the generation of the magnetospheric waveguide on magnetospheric flanks. An analysis of azimuthal propagation phase velocities indicates that these oscillations depend on intramagnetospheric parameters rather than on the solar wind velocity. The magnetospheric waveguide is in a metastable state when solar wind velocities are high, and the quasiperiodic fluctuations of the solar wind pressure stimulate the excitation of the waveguide.     

Penetration of Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations to unusually low latitudes during the recovery phase of a superstrong magnetic storm of October 31, 2003

Based on the data of the ground observations, the global distributions of the Pc5 geomagnetic pulsation amplitudes during the recovery phase of the superstorm of October 31, 2003, have been mapped, and an unusually deep penetration of these pulsations into the inner magnetosphere has been found out. Thus, two more zones with identical dynamic spectra and oscillation amplitudes from the polar to equatorial latitudes have been detected in the postnoon sector simultaneously with morning classical Pc5 pulsations in the narrow (～63°–68° CGM) latitudinal band extended along longitude. The higher-latitude zone as if continues the morning band, and the lower-latitude zone is characterized by the maximal intensity at latitudes of ～50°–57° CGM. The oscillation amplitudes are of the same order of magnitude in both zones. The zones are spatially separated by a very narrow latitudinal amplitude minimum and by a change in the phase and sense of rotation of the wave polarization vector. The pulsation spectra in the morning and daytime sectors are different, which indicates that the nature of the morning and postnoon oscillations is different.     

Dynamics of magnetospheric current systems during magnetic storms of different intensity

The dynamics of the magnetospheric magnetic field during the magnetic storms of different intensity has been studied. The magnetic field variations on the Earth’s surface were calculated using the paraboloid model of the magnetosphere, taking into account the induction currents flowing in the diamagnetically conductive Earth. Dst and its components have been calculated for ten magnetic storms. It has been indicated that relative contributions of magnetospheric sources to Dst change depending on the storm power. For weak and moderate storms, the contribution of the magnetotail current sheet can reach values comparable with the ring current contribution and, sometimes, can even exceed this contribution. For strong storms, the ring current field dominates over the tail current field, the absolute value of which does not exceed 150 nT (also achieved during less intense storms). For storms with minimum Dst exceeding-200 nT, the tail current field is saturated, whereas the ring current can continue developing.     

Global Pi3 geomagnetic pulsations as a response of large variations in the solar wind and IMF during the magnetic storm of August 5, 2011

Spatial-temporal and spectral features of ground geomagnetic pulsations in the frequency range of 1–5 mHz at the initial phase of a strong magnetic storm of the 24th cycle of solar activity (August 5–6, 2011, with a Dst-variation in the storm maximum of ?110 nT) are analyzed. Large opposite in sign amplitudes of variations in IMF parameters (from ?20 to +20 nT) at a high velocity of the solar wind (～650 km/s) accompanied by intense bursts in solar-wind density (up to ～50 cm^?3) were distinctive feature of interplanetary medium conditions causing the storm. Geomagnetic Pi3 pulsations global in longitude and latitude and in-phase in the middle and equatorial latitudes were found. The onset of pulsation generation was caused by a pulse of dynamic pressure of the solar wind (～20 nPa), i.e., by a considerable compression of the magnetosphere. The maximum (2–3 mHz) in the amplitude spectrum of near-equatorial pulsations coincided with the maximum of pulsations in the daytime polar cap. After the next jump of the dynamic pressure of the solar wind (～35 nPa), an additional maximum appeared in the pulsation spectrum in the frequency band of ～3.5–4.5 mHz. Global pulsations suddenly stopped after a sharp decrease in the solar-wind dynamic pressure and corresponding extension of the magnetosphere. The obtained results are compared with the time dynamics of the position and shape of the plasmapause.     

地磁扰动期间等离子体层顶结构的模拟研究

本文选取2001年6月8-10日的一个亚暴事件,模拟了在这期间等离子体层的结构演化过程.选取Weimer(2001模式)电场和Tsyganenko(1996模式)磁场作为背景电磁场,基于E×B的漂移运动计算磁赤道面内的带电粒子分布,模拟磁扰期间的等离子体层变化.模拟了等离子体层顶的结构和形状,结果有羽状、肩状和通道状结构,与同一时间点的EUV/IMAGE探测结果一致.