Evolution of negative SI-induced ionospheric flows observed by SuperDARN King Salmon HF radar

Abstract

The spatial evolution of vortex-like flow structures induced by a negative sudden impulse (SI-) is studied on the basis of SuperDARN King Salmon HF radar (KSR) with other ground and satellite data. A large dip in the solar wind density induced a fairly large SI-with a SYM-H amplitude of ∼40 nT. The SI-induced ionospheric flow signatures in the evening sector (MLT ∼ 19 h) were observed by KSR as a westward flow associated with the preliminary impulse (PI) followed by a more intense eastward flow with the main impulse (MI) in the sub-auroral region of the magnetic latitude ∼60-70 deg, consistent with the local ground magnetic field observations. Following the first PI-MI flow sequence, KSR saw a second and possibly third sequence of flow variation which were much smaller in flow amplitude than the first pair but showed qualitatively very similar flow variations and latitudinal/longitudinal propagation characteristics. These observations can be interpreted as aftershocks of the first PI-MI; the same sequence of vortices and field-aligned currents were generated and then drifted anti-sunward with the same mechanism, namely the pumping motion of the dayside magnetosphere. These results are qualitatively consistent with predictions suggested by recent numerical simulations. © 2012. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.