Open AccessRadio interferometer measurements of plasmasphere density structures during geomagnetic storms
Author(s) -
Hoogeveen Gary W.,
Jacobson Abram R.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/97ja00484
Subject(s) - plasmasphere , geomagnetic storm , storm , daytime , amplitude , earth's magnetic field , geophysics , atmospheric sciences , ionosphere , geology , physics , meteorology , magnetosphere , magnetic field , optics , quantum mechanics
The Los Alamos plasmaspheric drift radio interferometer is a ground‐based array that regularly measures periodic disturbances in the plasmasphere. These plasmaspheric density structures have been shown to depend on geomagnetic activity, as indicated by Kp . However, a direct storm time analysis of their behavior has not been done. This paper studies the amplitude, drift velocity, and location of these structures before, during, and after the onset of major geomagnetic storms. Distinct large‐amplitude, storm time signatures are found during the first night after onset, continuing through the third night; there were significantly more storm time signatures during nighttime than daytime. The L shells on which the disturbances existed were found to decrease after storm onset, indicating a possible shrinking of the plasmasphere.