M-I Coupling: Electric Field Variability in the High-Latitude Ionosphere

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators will use line-of-sight (LOS) velocity drift measurements from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) to characterize the statistical nature of velocity variability in the high latitude ionosphere. They will use the existing SuperDARN dataset to determine the temporal variability in LOS measurements on 100X45 km spatial scales and 1 minute time scales over the entire high latitude ionosphere. It has been shown that variability in the convection electric field is a significant factor in determining the amount of Joule heating in this region. General circulation models of the thermosphere use statistical or averaged convection electric fields which contain no information about the small-scale variability and thus seriously underestimate the amount of Joule heating. The wide coverage of the SuperDARN radars will allow determination of the relationships between velocity variability and magnetospheric features. The resulting comprehensive characterizations of the electric field variability will facilitate more realistic inputs to global models and better understanding of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system.