Ionospheric Currents and F-Region Plasma Boundaries Near the Dayside Cusp

Authors

S Vennerstrom
E Friis-Christensen
T S. Jorgensen
C. E. Rasmussen, Utah State University
C R. Clauer
Vincent B. Wickwar, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Geophysical Research Letters

Volume

11

Issue

9

Publication Date

1984

First Page

903

Last Page

906

Abstract

Observational evidence of the location of a dayside high‐latitude ionospheric current (DPY current) with respect to the different regimes of the high‐latitude magnetosphere is obtained by analyzing data from the magnetometer chain along the west coast of Greenland in conjunction with simultaneous measurements from the newly established incoherent‐scatter radar facility at Sondre Stromfjord. The latitudinal location of the DPY current is compared with the location of the maximum F‐region electron temperature and with the location of the plasma convection reversal from sunward to antisunward. The maximum in the F‐region electron temperature roughly coincides with the velocity reversal boundary, while the DPY current is always located more poleward, penetrating deep into the polar cap. When UT variations are examined, a correlation of 70 to 80 percent is found between the three locations.

Comments

Published by the American Geophysical Union in Geophysical Research Letters. Publisher PDF is available for download through link above.

Recommended Citation

Vennerstrom, S., E. Friis‐Christensen, T. S. Jorgensen, O. Rasmussen, C. R. Clauer, and V. B. Wickwar (1984), Ionospheric currents and F‐region plasma boundaries near the dayside cusp, Geophys. Res. Lett., 11(9), 903–906, doi:10.1029/GL011i009p00903.