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Midlatitude convection electric fields and their relation to ring current development
Author(s) -
Blanc Michel
Publication year - 1978
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/gl005i003p00203
Subject(s) - middle latitudes , geophysics , interplanetary magnetic field , convection , physics , ring current , polar , latitude , plasma , magnetic field , geology , atmospheric sciences , solar wind , magnetosphere , astronomy , mechanics , quantum mechanics
The extension of magnetospheric convection toward low latitudes is investigated with the help of incoherent scatter measurements of E×B plasma drift velocities in the midlatitude F region above Saint‐Santin (France). The observed relations of these drifts with auroral magnetic activity, the north‐south component B z of the interplanetary magnetic field, and the time derivative of Dst suggest that this low‐latitude extension is not systematically associated with all polar magnetic substorms, but occurs in conjunction with large (5 gammas or more) southward B z and is closely related in intensity with the negative excursions of d(Dst)/dt. We propose that plasma injection and the resulting development of an asymmetric ring current are closely linked with the low‐latitude extension of magnetospheric convection.