Ground-based observations of ion/neutral coupling at Thule and Qanaq, Greenland

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/95JA00131· OSTI ID:223572

Thayer, J P ^[1]; Niciejewski, R J; Killeen, T L ^[2]

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1. SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
2. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); and others

During December 1988, 24 hours of darkness and clear sky conditions permitted continuous observations of the O I (6300{Angstrom}) airglow by a Fabry-Perot interferometer located at Thule Air Base, Greenland. Thus a continuous record of the F region neutral winds was obtained for that month. During this same period, a digital ionosonde located at Qanaq, Greenland (110 km north of Thule Air Base), was in operation measuring electron density profiles and F region ion drifts. This combination of ground-based observations allowed the investigation of ion/neutral coupling at a temporal resolution of about 15 min. Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) data from the IMP 8 satellite were also available from December 16 to 24 and indicated intervals of B{sub z} northward IMF conditions during this period. Here the authors investigate the observed response of the neutral wind to convection changes in the ion drift inside the polar cap for southward and northward IMF B{sub z} conditions. In particular, they establish a control day illustrating the typical antisunward neutral wind and ion drift patterns observed for southward B{sub z} over Thule and Qanaq, and they compare it with observations made when the IMF B{sub z} is directed northward. The observations during periods of northward B{sub z} display sunward directed ion drifts over the polar cap accompanied by decreasing antisunward directed neutral winds. The authors investigate these times of northward B{sub z} further and demonstrate that the ion drag term alone cannot describe the observed response in the neutral wind during northward IMF. 26 refs., 5 figs.

• OSTI ID: 223572
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: A7 Vol. 100; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CONVECTION
F REGION
GREENLAND
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
ION DRIFT
IONOSPHERE
WIND