[1] The NASA TIMED/GUVI experiment obtained unprecedented far ultraviolet images of thermospheric composition and temperature during the intense geomagnetic storm on 20-21 November 2003. Geographic maps of the atomic oxygen to molecular nitrogen column density ratio show severe depletions that extend to the equator near the peak of the storm. This ratio is a key indicator of how the thermospheric composition is disrupted at high latitudes and how the perturbed air moves globally as a result of dynamical forcing. For example, migrating regions of low oxygen-to-nitrogen air are invariably found to correlate with high thermospheric temperatures. As well, GUVI obtained altitudinallatitudinal (limb) images of temperature and composition, which show how the disturbances vary at different heights. The ASPEN thermospheric global circulation model was used to test our understanding of these remarkable images. The resulting simulations of thermospheric response show good agreement with GUVI data prior to the peak of the storm on 20 November. During the peak and recovery phases, serious discrepancies between data and model are seen. Although this initial attempt to model the storm is encouraging, much more detailed analysis is required, especially of the high-latitude inputs. The GUVI images demonstrate that far ultraviolet imaging is becoming a crucial component of space weather research and development.

[1] There is great interest in understanding how the thermosphere-ionosphere system responds to geomagnetic storms. New insights are possible using the new generation of fully coupled three-dimensional models, together with extensive ionospheric databases. The period of postsolar maximum geomagnetic storms in October and November 2003 were some of the largest storms ever recorded. In this paper, we explore how the thermosphere-ionosphere system responded to the onset of the 20 November 2003 geomagnetic storm, using the NCAR TIMEGCM. The model simulates dramatic changes in the thermospheric equatorward winds, O/N 2 , and corresponding ionospheric electron densities. The model is used as a framework to interpret an increase in the observed ionospheric total electron content, and F region electron density, in the European and North African sector, in terms of changes in the neutral gas. Corresponding compositional effects observed by the GUVI instrument on the TIMED satellite lend credence to the model results. We describe some of the important physical processes that will affect planning for the utilization of measurements from the Geospace investigations in NASA's Living With a Star Program. The study illustrates the value of measuring both the neutral and ionized gases, of obtaining quasi-global views from imaging instruments, and the synergy between satellite data, ground-based measurements, and models.

Abstract. We report on the unexpected detection of considerable structure in high latitude thermospheric densities, as derived from an accelerometer onboard the CHAMP satellite. The width of the structures, which can either be maxima or minima, varies between a few hundred km and 2000 km. The amplitudes of these density extrema can reach 50% of ambient. Maxima cluster around 75 • (N and S), while minima are found closer to the poles. In a magnetic latitudemagnetic local time frame the maxima are found mainly around the cusp region. Overall, the observed structures somewhat resemble so-called density cells previously found in model calculations. However the models generate their cells around 140-300 km altitude and show little, if any remnant at 400 km or above. This has to be contrasted with the fact that the CHAMP observations were obtained near 430 km altitude. We have explored Joule heating as a possible mechanism for the generation of the structures, at least in density enhancement regions, using Hall currents measured on CHAMP and simultaneous incoherent scatter measurements with EISCAT. However, the electric fields were usually quite small during the period of observation, making the quest for an explanation for the structures all the more challenging.

No abstract

[1] Magnetic storms and their effects on the thermosphere and ionosphere have been studied for many years, yet there are many aspects of the thermospheric and ionospheric responses that are not understood. The purpose of this paper is to show how the high-latitude composition depends on the sign of the IMF B Y component, using controlled simulations with a global first principles model. Because the high-latitude convection and neutral wind systems are strongly controlled by the IMF B Y component, it seems likely that the compositional response that is driven by high-latitude forcing should also be sensitive to the B Y component. To date, no first-principles modeling has been performed to test the idea of IMF B Y effects on composition. Numerical experiments using model simulations provide insight into this important scientific question, since the thermospheric compositional response to the convection patterns for different IMF B Z and B Y can be studied in isolation in a model. In this paper we use a first-principles model to determine the effect of the IMF B Y component on the compositional response of the high-latitude thermosphere. We show for the first time that a clockwise rotation of the potential pattern resulting from a change from B Y -negative to B Y -positive drives a corresponding rotation in the wind, neutral density, and composition distributions. B Y control of thermospheric composition has been invoked in the literature to explain an apparent variability in the effectiveness of auroral activity in causing thermospheric storm effects at middle latitudes, as observed in global images of the far-ultraviolet (FUV) OI 130.4-nm emission from the DE-1 auroral imager. However, the effect in the simulations presented here is opposite from that suggested by earlier work based on DE data, indicating another explanation must be sought for the DE results. These simulations are highly relevant for interpreting data being provided by more modern UV imaging instruments on the DMSP, TIMED, and IMAGE satellites.