Effect of the interplanetary magnetic field y component on the high-latitude nightside convection

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL012i007p00461· OSTI ID:6019784

De La Beaujardiere, O; Wickwar, V B; Kelly, J D; King, J H

Sondrestrom radar observations reveal that the dawn-dusk (By) component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strongly influences the nightside polar convection. This effect is quite complex. The convection for one orientation of By is not the mirror image of the other orientation. A positive By (i.e., pointing toward dusk) seems to organize the velocities such that, at all local times, they are predominantly westward within the radar field-of-view (approximately 68 deg-to-82 deg invariant latitude). Between dusk and midnight, on one such occasion, sunward flow is observed within the polar cap. In the midnight and dawn sectors, when By is negative, the plasma velocities often appear shifted toward early hours such that large southward velocities are observed about 3 hours before midnight. These are the only times when the predominant velocity component is southward. 14 references.

• Research Organization: SRI International Corp., Menlo Park, CA; NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
• OSTI ID: 6019784
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 12; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAL ZONES
CONVECTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRODYNAMICS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MASS TRANSFER
MECHANICS
NIGHT SKY
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA DRIFT
POLAR REGIONS
SKY