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Energy input from the exterior cusp into the ionosphere: Correlated ground‐based and satellite observations
Author(s) -
Yordanova E.,
Sundkvist D.,
Buchert S. C.,
André M.,
Ogawa Y.,
Morooka M.,
Margithu O.,
Amm O.,
Fazakerley A. N.,
Réme H.
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2006gl028617
Subject(s) - ionosphere , joule heating , physics , geophysics , energy flux , computational physics , satellite , incoherent scatter , flux (metallurgy) , cusp (singularity) , energy budget , atmospheric sciences , materials science , geometry , astronomy , mathematics , quantum mechanics , metallurgy , thermodynamics
The energy transport from the exterior cusp into the ionosphere is investigated using coordinated ground‐based (EISCAT and MIRACLE) and satellite (Cluster) observations. EISCAT and MIRACLE data are used to estimate the plasma heating in the F ‐region and the Joule heating in the E ‐region. Cluster measurements are used to derive the electromagnetic and particle energy fluxes at the high altitudes. These fluxes are then compared with the energy deposition into the ionospheric cusp during a 30 minutes long time interval in which Cluster and EISCAT are nearly conjugated. It is shown that the particles seen at about 9 R e in the exterior cusp carry an earthward energy flux that corresponds to the observed heating of the F ‐region. The estimated earthward Poynting flux is more than enough to account for the Joule heating in the E ‐region.