Spatio-temporal development of large scale auroral electrojet currents relative to substorm onsets

During auroral substorms the electric currents flowing in the ionosphere change rapidly and a large amount of energy is dissipated in the auroral ionosphere. An important part of the auroral current system are the auroral electrojets whose profiles can be estimated from magnetic field measurements from Low Earth Orbit satellites. In this paper we combine electrojet data derived from the Swarm satellite mission of ESA with the substorm database derived from the SuperMAG ground magnetometer network data. We organize the electrojet data in relation to the location and time of the onset and obtain statistics for the development of the integrated current and latitudinal location for the auroral electrojets relative to the onset. The major features of the behaviour of the westward electrojet are found to be in accordance with earlier studies of field aligned currents and ground magnetometer observations of substorm time statistics. In addition we show that after the onset the latitudinal location of the maximum of the westward electrojet determined from Swarm satellite data is mostly located close to the SuperMAG onset latitude in the local time sector of the onset regardless of where the onset happens. We also show that the SuperMAG onset corresponds to a strengthening of the order of 100 kA in the amplitude of the median of the westward integrated current in the Swarm data from 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after the onset.

Spatio-temporal development of large scale auroral electrojet currents relative to substorm onsets

<p>The electric currents flowing in the ionosphere change rapidly and a large amount of energy is dissipated in the auroral ionosphere during auroral substorms. An important part of the auroral current system are the auroral electrojets whose profiles can be estimated from magnetic field measurements from low Earth orbit satellites. We have combined electrojet data derived from the Swarm satellite mission of ESA with the substorm database derived from the SuperMAG ground network data. We organize the electrojet data in relation to the location of the onset and obtain statistics for the development of the integrated current and latitudinal location for the auroral electrojets relative to the onset. Especially we show that just after the onset the latitudinal location of the maximum of the westward electrojet determined from Swarm satellite data is mostly located close to the onset latitude in the local time sector of the onset regardless of where the onset happens.</p>

The upper atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune

We review the current understanding of the upper atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune, and explore the upcoming opportunities available to study these exciting planets. The ice giants are the least understood planets in the solar system, having been only visited by a single spacecraft, in 1986 and 1989, respectively. The upper atmosphere plays a critical role in connecting the atmosphere to the forces and processes contained within the magnetic field. For example, auroral current systems can drive charged particles into the atmosphere, heating it by way of Joule heating. Ground-based observations of H 3 + provides a powerful remote diagnostic of the physical properties and processes that occur within the upper atmosphere, and a rich dataset exists for Uranus. These observations span almost three decades and have revealed that the upper atmosphere has continuously cooled between 1992 and 2018 at about 8 K/year, from approximately 750 K to approximately 500 K. The reason for this trend remain unclear, but could be related to seasonally driven changes in the Joule heating rates due to the tilted and offset magnetic field, or could be related to changing vertical distributions of hydrocarbons. H 3 + has not yet been detected at Neptune, but this discovery provides low-hanging fruit for upcoming facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the next generation of 30 m telescopes. Detecting H 3 + at Neptune would enable the characterization of its upper atmosphere for the first time since 1989. To fully understand the ice giants, we need dedicated orbital missions, in the same way the Cassini spacecraft explored Saturn. Only by combining in situ observations of the magnetic field with in-orbit remote sensing can we get the complete picture of how energy moves between the atmosphere and the magnetic field. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Future exploration of ice giant systems’.

Immediate and delayed responses of power lines and transformers in the Czech electric power grid to geomagnetic storms

Eruptive events of solar activity often trigger abrupt variations of the geomagnetic field. Through the induction of electric currents, human infrastructures are also affected, namely the equipment of electric power transmission networks. It was shown in past studies that the rate of power-grid anomalies may increase after an exposure to strong geomagnetically induced currents. We search for a rapid response of devices in the Czech electric distribution grid to disturbed days of high geomagnetic activity. Such disturbed days are described either by the cumulative storm-time Dst or d(SYM-H)/dt low-latitude indices mainly influenced by ring current variations, by the cumulative AE high-latitude index measuring substorm-related auroral current variations, or by the cumulative ap mid-latitude index measuring both ring and auroral current variations. We use superposed epoch analysis to identify possible increases of anomaly rates during and after such disturbed days. We show that in the case of abundant series of anomalies on power lines, the anomaly rate increases significantly immediately (within 1 day) after the onset of geomagnetic storms. In the case of transformers, the increase of the anomaly rate is generally delayed by 2–3 days. We also find that transformers and some electric substations seem to be sensitive to a prolonged exposure to substorms, with a delayed increase of anomalies. Overall, we show that in the 5-day period following the commencement of geomagnetic activity there is an approximately 5–10% increase in the recorded anomalies in the Czech power grid and thus this fraction of anomalies is probably related to an exposure to GICs.

Vlasov simulations of trapping and loss of auroral electrons

The plasma on an auroral field line is simulated using a Vlasov model. In the initial state, the acceleration region extends from one to three Earth radii in altitude with about half of the acceleration voltage concentrated in a stationary double layer at the bottom of this region. A population of electrons is trapped between the double layer and their magnetic mirror points at lower altitudes. A simulation study is carried out to examine the effects of fluctuations in the total accelerating voltage, which may be due to changes in the generator or the load of the auroral current circuit. The electron distribution function on the high potential side of the double layer changes significantly depending on whether the perturbation is toward higher or lower voltages, and therefore measurements of electron distribution functions provide information about the recent history of the voltage. Electron phase space holes are seen as a result of the induced fluctuations. Most of the voltage perturbation is assumed by the double layer. Hysteresis effects in the position of the double layer are observed when the voltage first is lowered and then brought back to its initial value.