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Storm time ionosphere and plasmasphere structuring: SAMI3‐RCM simulation of the 31 March 2001 geomagnetic storm
Author(s) -
Huba J. D.,
Sazykin S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl062110
Subject(s) - plasmasphere , geomagnetic storm , ionosphere , storm , geophysics , atmospheric sciences , geology , earth's magnetic field , magnetosphere , physics , meteorology , magnetic field , quantum mechanics
Abstract We present the first self‐consistent modeling study of the ionosphere‐plasmasphere system response to a geomagnetic storm. We use the coupled SAMI3‐Rice Convention Model (RCM) of the global ionosphere and inner magnetosphere, with self‐consistent electrodynamics, to simulate the 31 March 2001 magnetic storm. We find that the penetration electric fields associated with the magnetic storm lead to a storm time‐enhanced density (SED) in the low‐ to middle‐latitude ionosphere and that the separation in latitude of the Appleton anomaly peaks increases. The SED exhibits magnetic conjugacy, occurring in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Moreover, mapping the boundary of the SED into the equatorial plane coincides with the development of a “plume‐like” structure in the plasmasphere. These preliminary results are consistent with observations.