Global Distribution of Nighttime Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Seen by Swarm Satellites

Kil, H.; Paxton, L. J.

doi:10.1002/2017gl074750

Cited by 36 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…However, the detection of blobs in the absence of bubbles indicates that bubbles are not a prerequisite for the development of blobs (Kil, Choi, et al, 2011, 2015. The idea of the MSTID-blob connection is supported by the observations of blobs at the locations of MSTIDs (Kil & Paxton, 2017;Miller et al, 2014) and some similarities in the occurrence climatology of blobs and MSTIDs (Choi et al, 2012;Haaser et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Plasma Blobs Associated With Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances

Kil

Paxton

Jee

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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Plasma blobs represent plasma density enhancements with respect to ambient plasma. The formation of blobs in low and middle latitudes is understood in association with either equatorial plasma bubbles or medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). This study reports four blob events identified from the Swarm satellite observations in 2014. Those blobs show the conjugate property and the alignment in the northwest‐southeast direction in the Northern Hemisphere and southwest‐northeast direction in the Southern Hemisphere. These are the typical characteristics of nighttime MSTIDs. The observation of MSTIDs in the total electron content maps and the absence of bubbles in the equatorial region at the times of the blob detection further support the association of those blobs with MSTIDs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Plasma Blobs Associated With Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances

Kil

Paxton

Jee

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…Most of the works on the conjugacy of MSTID are confined in Japan‐Australia longitudes with case studies (Otsuka et al, 2004; Shiokawa et al, 2005). The global observation of the conjugacy of MSTID is rarely reported, although an attempt has been made recently by using satellite observations (e.g., Kil & Paxton, 2017). More importantly, under the absolute fluctuation‐based detection criteria, whether/how/why this conjugacy varies in a statistical sense concerning solar activity, seasons, and local time is unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Characteristics on the Occurrence of the Nighttime Midlatitude Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbance at Topside Ionosphere Revealed by the Swarm Satellite

et al. 2020

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Using 6 years collecting of electron density (Ne) data from the Swarm A satellite, this study portrays comprehensive maps of the occurrence of medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbance (MSTID) at middle latitudes, which is characterized by the in situ absolute Ne fluctuations above a certain threshold. Two interesting spatial preferences on the occurrence of MSTID as well as their dependence on local time and solar cycle are captured, that is, (1) regional preference near Weddell Sea Anomaly (WSA) to its west during December solstice, MSTID in this region appears even at very low latitudes (at least to 10°N in magnetic latitude) and (2) preference at middle latitudes with a wide zonal extension, which is similar to the recently disclosed nighttime midlatitude plasma band‐like enhancement (NMPBE) of the background plasma density (Zhong et al., 2019, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA026059). The first preference of MSTID occurring near WSA region can be understood as the effects of horizontal neutral wind contribution to the Perkins instability, with the principal requirement of sporadic E occurrence via ionospheric E‐F region coupling. The fundamental mechanism of the second preference of MSTID occurring includes the interhemispheric coupling that the MSTID can also develop in the winter hemisphere where the local growth rate of Perkins instability is low. Besides, the presence of NMPBE during low solar activity years sets up a favorable environment for the appearance of MSTID with considerable fluctuation amplitude.

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“…Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics appropriate plasma dynamics (Krall, Huba, Joyce, et al, 2010;Krall et al, 2010b). However, blobs are observed without the occurrence of bubbles especially during solar minimum, and a connection between MSTIDs and blobs is suggested by observations with similar occurrence distributions (e.g., Choi et al, 2012;Haaser et al, 2012;Kil & Paxton, 2017;Miller et al, 2014).…”

Section: Midlatitude Plasma Structuresmentioning

confidence: 92%

Challenges to Understanding the Earth's Ionosphere and Thermosphere

Heelis¹,

Maute

2020

JGR Space Physics

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We discuss, in a limited way, some of the challenges to advancing our understanding and description of the coupled plasma and neutral gas that make up the ionosphere and thermosphere (I‐T). The I‐T is strongly influenced by wave motions of the neutral atmosphere from the lower atmosphere and is coupled to the magnetosphere, which supplies energetic particle precipitation and field‐aligned currents at high latitudes. The resulting plasma dynamics are associated with currents generated by solar heating and upward propagating waves, by heating from energetic particles and electromagnetic energy from the magnetosphere and by the closure of the field‐aligned currents applied at high latitudes. These three contributors to the current are functions of position, magnetic activity, and other variables that must be unraveled to understand how the I‐T responds to coupling from the surrounding regions of geospace. We have captured the challenges to this understanding in four major themes associated with coupling to the lower atmosphere, the generation and flow of currents within the I‐T region, the coupling to the magnetosphere, and the response of the I‐T region reflected in the neutral and plasma density changes. Addressing these challenges requires advances in observing the neutral density, composition, and velocity and simultaneous observations of the plasma density and motions as well as the particles and field‐aligned current describing the magnetospheric energy inputs. Additionally, our modeling capability must advance to include better descriptions of the processes affecting the I‐T region and incorporate coupling to below and above at smaller spatial and temporal scales.

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Global Distribution of Nighttime Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Seen by Swarm Satellites

Cited by 36 publications

References 46 publications

Plasma Blobs Associated With Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances

Plasma Blobs Associated With Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances

Spatial Characteristics on the Occurrence of the Nighttime Midlatitude Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbance at Topside Ionosphere Revealed by the Swarm Satellite

Challenges to Understanding the Earth's Ionosphere and Thermosphere

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