9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
[PEM10-01] Observations of solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and its impact on equatorial ionospheric electrodynamics
Keywords:solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, magnetic storms, field-aligned currents, equatorial electrojet, equatorial ionospheric electrodynamics , MI Coupling
The low-latitude ionosphere is effectively shielded from the high latitude convection electric field during geomagnetic quiet times because region-2 field-aligned currents associated with the partial ring current act to oppose the convection electric field associated with region-1 field-aligned currents. However, the low-latitude ionosphere can be directly coupled to the enhanced magnetospheric electric field through the short-love (~ 2 hours) prompt penetration of convection electric field, generated by solar wind-magnetosphere dynamo during periods of strong solar wind-magnetosphere interaction. The detailed mechanisms that lead to the generation of prompt penetration electric field (PPEF) during enhanced solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling are complex and not fully understood. Evidence of PPEF has been observed under conditions of sudden changes in the interplanetary magnetic field and the solar wind. We study the evolution of field-aligned currents and the response of equatorial electrojet during the March and April 2023 geomagnetic storm. This allows us to understand the processes involving solar wind disturbances interacting with the magnetosphere and coupling into the polar ionosphere, and how the low-latitude ionosphere responded to the enhanced magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. We observed strong evidence of PPEF during the storms, mainly due to sudden changes of the solar wind dynamic pressure. We will present the observations in the solar wind-magnetosphere- ionosphere system, in particular, field-aligned currents at high latitude ionosphere by Swarm and the equatorial electrojet by Swarm and ground-based magnetometers.