Response of the equatorial and polar magnetosphere to the very tenuous solar wind on May 11, 1999

C. J Farrugia; H. J Singer; D Evans; D Berdichevsky; J. D Scudder; K. W Ogilvie; R. J Fitzenreiter; C. T Russell

doi:10.1029/2000GL003800

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Response of the equatorial and polar magnetosphere to the very tenuous solar wind on May 11, 1999

Journal article

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Response of the equatorial and polar magnetosphere to the very tenuous solar wind on May 11, 1999

C. J Farrugia, H. J Singer, D Evans, D Berdichevsky, J. D Scudder, K. W Ogilvie, R. J Fitzenreiter and C. T Russell

Geophysical research letters, Vol.27(23), pp.3773-3776

12/01/2000

DOI: 10.1029/2000GL003800

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Abstract

We examine effects in the equatorial and polar magnetosphere during 9–13 May, 1999. Earth's field at geostationary orbit became closely dipolar for ∼16 hours when solar wind densities nsw were <1 cm−3. Electron precipitation in the northern polar cap intensified as nsw decreased, with significant fluxes up to ∼15 keV energy on May 11. The simultaneous precipitation void in the southern polar cap implies a very pronounced north-south asymmetry, also reflected in the hemispherical power deposition. With an intense and collimated strahl, these observations support the ideas of Fairfield and Scudder [1985] on the preferential entry of the strahl into the northern hemisphere under the observed IMF away sector as a source of the north-south precipitation asymmetry. The polar rain north-south asymmetry argues against an ejecta source for the solar wind drop-out. The temporal profiles of solar wind parameters were very asymmetric with respect to the time of minimum nsw, and strong compressions and substorm activity prevailed as nsw recovered.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Response of the equatorial and polar magnetosphere to the very tenuous solar wind on May 11, 1999
Creators: C. J Farrugia - University of New Hampshire
H. J Singer - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
D Evans - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
D Berdichevsky - Raytheon
J. D Scudder - University of Iowa
K. W Ogilvie - Goddard Space Flight Center
R. J Fitzenreiter - Goddard Space Flight Center
C. T Russell - University of California, Los Angeles
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.27(23), pp.3773-3776
DOI: 10.1029/2000GL003800
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Number of pages: 4
Language: English
Date published: 12/01/2000
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199722802771

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