PCN magnetic index and average convection velocity in the polar cap inferred from SuperDARN radar measurements

Abstract

The relationship between the polar cap north (PCN) magnetic index and the average convection velocity of the plasma flow across the polar cap is investigated using data from both the Rankin Inlet (RKN) polar cap Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radar and the entire SuperDARN network. Correlation between the PCN index and the average velocity, determined from the median RKN line of sight (LOS) velocity, maximizes near magnetic noon and midnight when the radar field of view is roughly aligned with the noon-midnight meridian. For observations between 1000 and 1100 MLT, a roughly linear increase of the average velocity was found for a PCN index between 0 and 2, but the rate of increase is ∼2 times faster than in previous publications in which the average velocity was estimated from DMSP ion drift measurements. Comparisons between the PCN index with the cross-polar cap velocity estimated from (1) SuperDARN convection maps and (2) median RKN LOS velocities show similar trends. Both the average cross-polar cap velocity (estimated by two methods) and the cross-polar cap potential show a tendency for saturation at PCN > 2. No significant seasonal change in the nature of the relationships was found. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.