Occurrence Statistics and Driving Mechanisms of Ionospheric Ultra-Low Frequency Waves Observed by SuperDARN Radars

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Date

2019-05-30

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Virginia Tech

Abstract

Ultra-low frequency (ULF; 1 mHz - 1 Hz) waves are known to play an important role in the transfer of energy from the solar wind to Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is an international network consisting of 35 low-power high frequency (HF: 3-30 MHz) coherent scatter radars at middle to polar latitudes that look into Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere. In this study, we use Doppler velocity measurements obtained by the SuperDARN radars and coordinated spacecraft observations to investigate the occurrence statistics and driving mechanisms of ionospheric ULF waves. We begin in Chapter 2 with a case study of Pi2 pulsations which are short-duration (5-15 min) damped geomagnetic field oscillations with periods of 40-150 s. Simultaneous observations of Pi2 pulsations from THEMIS spacecraft, midlatitude SuperDARN radars, and ground magnetometers, together with analysis of their longitudinal polarization pattern and azimuthal phase propagation, confirmed that they are consistent with a plasmaspheric virtual resonance excited by a longitudinally localized source near midnight. In Chapter 3, to further investigate the overall occurrence of ionospheric ULF signatures, a comprehensive statistical study was conducted using an automated detection algorithm to identify ionospheric signatures of Pc3-4 and Pc5 waves over 7 years of high time resolution SuperDARN radar data. Specifically, we have investigated their spatial occurrence, frequency characteristics, seasonal factors, and dependence on solar wind and geomagnetic conditions. We note two particular findings: (i) an internal wave-particle interaction source is most likely responsible for Pc4 waves at high latitudes in the duskside ionosphere; and, (ii) a source associated with magnetotail dynamics during active geomagnetic times is suggested for Pc3-4/Pi2 waves at midlatitudes in the nightside ionosphere. These findings are further expanded in Chapter 4 which investigates the hypothesis that internal wave-particle interactions are an important source for generation of these waves. A case study of long-lasting poloidal waves was conducted using coordinated observations with the GOES and THEMIS satellites to examine the generation and propagation of waves observed in the dayside ionosphere by multiple SuperDARN radars. The source of wave excitation is suggested to be bump-on-tail ion distributions at 1-3 keV. Collectively, these research findings provide better constraints on where and when ionospheric ULF waves occur, their source mechanisms, and how they might affect magnetospheric and ionospheric dynamics.

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ULF waves, geomagnetic pulsations, SuperDARN, ionosphere, magnetosphere

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