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Observations of an enhanced convection flow channel for northward turning IMF
Author(s) -
Nilsson H.,
Yamauchi M.,
Mukai T.,
Yamamoto T.,
Moretto T.
Publication year - 1997
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 - 10.1029/97gl03254
Subject(s) - geology , flow (mathematics) , convection , channel (broadcasting) , geophysics , ionosphere , mechanics , physics , telecommunications , computer science
A detailed case study of the excitation of a more than 200 km wide flow channel with ionospheric drift speeds exceeding 2 kms −1 is presented. The flow channel is excited during a slowly northward turning IMF and strong IMF B y conditions. A brief southward spike in the IMF moves the flow channel equatorward. Thereafter the enhanced flow decreases, consistent with a decreasing IMF B y component. The presence and location of the flow channel appear to be entirely determined by the IMF conditions. The flow channel is distinctly different from the poleward propagating convection disturbances associated with strong IMF B y for strongly southward IMF B z .