Long-periodic strong radar echoes in the summer polar D region correlated with oscillations of high-speed solar wind streams

Abstract

We report long-periodic oscillations of polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSEs) correlated with high-speed solar wind streams (HSSs) as observed between 1 June and 8 August in the solar minimum years 2006 and 2008. PMSEs (80-90 km altitudes) were observed by 52 MHz VHF radar measurements at Esrange, Sweden (67.8°N, 20.4°E). Correlations between PMSE volume reflectivity/counts, HSSs, and AE index are primarily found at 7-day, 9-day, and 13-day periodicities as well as 9-day and 13.5-day periodicities in 2006 and 2008, respectively. The observations show that the effects of HSSs appear in PMSEs. During corotating interaction region (CIR)-induced HSSs, the long-lasting enhancement of PMSEs, geomagnetic disturbances, and D-region ionization suggests that a favorable condition in generating PMSEs can be provided by the precipitating energetic electrons (>30 keV), which are frequently multiplied in the magnetosphere during HSSs. Key Points Long-periodic PMSE correlated with HSS Precipitating high-energetic particles as a possible primary source for PMSE It provides a new aspect of magnetosphere-mesosphere coupling. © 2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.