Austral thermospheric wind circulation and interplanetary magnetic field orientation

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90JA02458· OSTI ID:6096270

Hernandez, G ^[1]; McCormac, F G ^[2]; Smith, R W ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle (USA)
2. Queen's University, Belfast (Northern Ireland)
3. University of Alaska, Fairbanks (USA)

Ground-based high-resolution spectral measurements of the OI {sup 1}D emission at 15,867 K (630 nm; 1 K = 1 cm{sup {minus}1}) from thermospheric altitudes at the geographic south pole are used to determine the relationship between the southern hemisphere high-latitude thermospheric wind circulation and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during the austral winter of 1989. A clear dependence is shown between the thermospheric wind direction and magnitude and the IMF. In the midnight sector, the zonal wind magnitude is dependent on B{sub y}, and the meridonal component on B{sub z}. The magnetic local times of the largest polar cap electric fields are also inferred for either sign of B{sub y}. In addition, it is shown that the field angle {Psi} of the IMF in the Y-Z plane is also useful for ordering the neutral wind data. These ground-based wind measurements also reflect the polarity and magnitude of the IMF, at least near the observing station's magnetic midnight.

• OSTI ID: 6096270
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A4; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
EMISSION SPECTRA
GROUND LEVEL
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
IONOSPHERE
LEVELS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
ORIENTATION
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLANETS
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
SPECTRA
THERMOSPHERE
VELOCITY
WIND