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HIWIND Observation of Summer Season Polar Cap Thermospheric Winds
Author(s) -
Wu Qian,
Knipp Delores,
Liu Jing,
Wang Wenbin,
Varney Roger,
Gillies Robert,
Erickson Phil,
Greffen Michael,
Reimer Ashton,
Häggström Ingemar,
Jee Geonhwa,
Kwak YoungSil
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1029/2019ja027258
Subject(s) - thermosphere , atmospheric sciences , ionosphere , noon , physics , daytime , zonal and meridional , f region , flux (metallurgy) , electron precipitation , polar , environmental science , electron density , electron , geophysics , plasma , astronomy , magnetosphere , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
HIWIND (High altitude Interferometer WIND experiment) is a balloon‐borne Fabry Perot interferometer for daytime thermospheric wind observations. In this paper, we examine the summer polar cap thermospheric winds observed by HIWIND with the RISR‐C (Resolute Incoherent Scatter Radar‐Canada) observed ion drifts and electron densities. We also perform National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model simulations to compare with the HIWIND and RISR‐C observations. The standard Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model underestimates the high‐latitude electron density and overestimates the thermospheric winds. The discrepancies between modeled and observed meridional winds are large near midnight and noon. After increasing the energy flux in the polar cap drizzle, the simulated electron density is comparable with the RISR‐C observations. However, large discrepancies with the HIWIND‐observed thermospheric winds persist. The cause of the model versus observation discrepancy in winds is probably due to the processes outside the polar cap.