Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2014

Presentation information

Poster

Symbol M (Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary) » M-IS Intersection

[M-IS28_1PO1] Extremely severe geomagnetically induced currents in Japan

Thu. May 1, 2014 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM Poster (3F)

Convener:*Fujita Shigeru(Meteorological College, Japan Meteorological Agency), Ryuho Kataoka(National Institute of Polar Research), Ikuko Fujii Ikuko(Kakioka Magnetic Observatory, Japan Meteorological Agency), Shinichi Watari(National Institute of Information and Communications Technology)

6:15 PM - 7:30 PM

[MIS28-P02] Global MHD simulation of the magnetospheric response to large and sudden enhancement of the solar wind dynamic pressure

*Yasubumi KUBOTA1, Ryuho KATAOKA2, Mitsue DEN1, Takashi TANAKA3, Tsutomu NAGATSUMA1, Shigeru FUJITA4 (1.NICT, 2.NIPR, 3.Kyushu University, 4.Meteorological College)

A large and sudden enhancement of the dynamic pressure in the solar wind generates a geomagnetic sudden commencement (SC). The magnetic field variation of SC at auroral latitudes shows a bipolar change which consists of preliminary impulse (PI) and main impulse (MI). Fujita et al. [2003a, 2003b] reproduced the PI/MI magnetic field variation using a magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling simulation and clarified the fundamental mechanisms. Interestingly, Araki et al. [1997] reported an anomalously large-amplitude SC of more than 200 nT with an unusually spiky waveform at low latitude, which occurred when the magnetopause was pushed inside geostationary orbit. Such a super SC is the target of this study. We investigate the large-amplitude SC at auroral latitudes when a large solar wind dynamic pressure impinges on the magnetosphere using a newly developed magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling simulation which has advanced robustness. We simulate two SC events of dynamic pressure enhancement of 16 times larger than the standard value, caused by the density enhancement and velocity enhancement, respectively. As an initial result of the comparison with the SC events, it is found that magnetic field variation of PI/MI is larger and sharper in the case of velocity rise than the case of density rise. It is therefore suggested that high-speed solar wind may be needed to create large and sharp SC. It is also found that a magnetic field variation similar to so-called Psc appears after PI/MI only in the case of velocity rise. When the high-speed solar wind impinges on magnetosphere, vortices are repeatedly formed at the equatorial magnetopause, probably due to the K-H instability. It seems that the high pressure of the vortices play an essential role as a current generator to drive the field-aligned currents and the magnetic field oscillation. In this presentation, we discuss the mechanisms of super SC in more detail, combining the other interesting simulation results.