Skip to main content
Earth, Planets and Space
Download PDF

Latitudinal and longitudinal displacement of cusp ion precipitation controlled by IMF By and Bz

Earth, Planets and Space volume 57, pages 627–641 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Dependence of the location of the cusp precipitation on the orientation of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is investigated using data from the Akebono satellite taken at altitudes of several thousands of km. More than a hundred cusp precipitation events have been identified with the low-energy particle detector (LEP) onboard Akebono. The observed energy spectra of ions precipitating at the cusp are dispersed by the convection motion of field lines. We pay special attention to the location where precipitating ions have the highest energy in the energy dispersion curve as recorded along the satellite’s path; such location would represent the one nearest to the foot point of the dayside reconnection line (we here assume that the cusp ion injection is triggered by the magnetopause reconnection). We study this location as a proxy for the foot point of the reconnection line and call it „ion entry point” in this paper. Our analysis shows that the location of the „ion entry point” has a strong dependence on the sign and magnitude of IMF By and Bz. By and Bz have almost orthogonal effects on the location of the entry point, with the latitudinal displacement linearly related to Bz, and the longitudinal displacement linearly related to By. We find that the Bz dependence of the ion entry point is represented by a single regression line for entire range of Bz irrespective of its north/south polarity. We also find that the By dependence is larger for positive Bz than for negative Bz. The distribution of ion entry points for positive IMF By is almost a mirror image of that for negative IMF By with respect to the noon-midnight meridian plane. We discuss the dependence of the „ion entry point” on the IMF from the viewpoint of where and how the magnetopause reconnection (merging) occurs for various orientations of IMF.

References

  • Aparicio, B., B., Thelin, and R. Lundin, The polar cusp from a particle point of view: A statistical study based on Viking data, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 14023–14031, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asai, K., K. Maezawa, N. Kaya, and T. Mukai, Latitudinal displacement of cusp ion precipitation: Akebono observations, Adv. Space Res., 23, 1761–1764, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basinska, E. M., W. J. Burke, N. C. Maynard, W. J. Hughes, J. D. Winningham, and W. B. Hanson, Small-scale electrodynamics of the cusp with northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 6369–6379, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burch, J. L., P. H. Reiff, R. A. Heelis, J. D. Winningham, W. B. Hanson, C. Gurgiolo, J. D. Menietti, R. A. Hoffman, and J. N. Barfield, Plasma injection and transport in the mid-altitude polar cusp, Geophys. Res. Lett., 9, 921–924, 1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, M. O., S. A. Fuselier, M. Lockwood, and T. E. Moore, Evidence of component merging equatorward of the cusp, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 22,623–22,634, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowley, S. W. H., The couses of convection in the Earth’s magnetosphere: A review of developments during IMS, Rev. Geophys., 20, 531–565, 1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowley, S. W. H., J. P. Morelli, and M. Lockwood, Dependence of convective flows and particle precipitation in the high-latitude dayside ionosphere on the X and Y components of the interplanetary magnetic field, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 5557–5564, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crooker, N. U., J. Berchem, and C. T. Russell, Cusp displacement at the magnetopause for large IMF Y component, J. Geophys. Res., 92, 13467–13471, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crooker, N. U., J. G. Lyon, and J. A. Fedder, MHD model merging with IMF By: Lobe cells, sunward polar cap convection, and overdraped lobes, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 9143–9152, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farrugia, C. J., P. E. Sandholt, R. B. Torbert, and N. Østgaard, Temporal and spatial aspects of the cusp inferred from local and global ground- and space-based observations in a case study, J. Geophys. Res., 109, A04209, 2004.

  • Frey, H. U., S. B. Mende, T. J. Immel, S. A. Fuselier, E. S. Claflin, J.-C. Gérard, and B. Hubert, Proton aurora in the cusp, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 1091, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, H. U., S. B. Mende, S. A. Fuselier, T. J. Immel, and N. Østgaard, Proton aurora in the cusp during southward IMF, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 1277, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuselier, S. A., H. U. Frey, K. J. Trattner, S. B. Mende, and J. L. Burch, Cusp aurora dependence on interplanetary magnetic field Bz, J. Geophys. Res., 107, 1111, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuselier, S. A., S. B. Mende, T. E. Moore, H. U. Frey, S. M. Petrinec, E. S. Claflin, and M. R. Collier, Cusp dynamics and ionospheric outflow, Space Science Reviews, 109, 285–312, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gosling, J. T., M. F. Thomsen, S. J. Bame, R. C. Elphic, and C. T. Russell, Plasma flow reversals at the dayside magnetopause and the origin of asymmetric polar cap convection, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 8073–8084, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakura, Y., Tables and maps of geomagnetic coordinates corrected by the higher order spherical harmonic terms, Rep. Ionos. Space Res. Japan, 19, 121–157, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayakawa, H., et al., Electric field measurement on the Akebono (EXOSD) satellite, J. Geomag. Geoelectr., 42, 371–384, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heelis, R. A., The effects of interplanetary magnetic field orientation on dayside high-latitude ionospheric convection, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 2873–2880, 1984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karlson, K. A., M. Oieroset, J. Moen, and P. E. Sandholt, A statistical study of flux transfer event signatures in the dayside aurora: The IMF By-related prenoon-postnoon asymmetry, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 59–68, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kremser, G. and R. Lundin, Average spatial distributions of energetic particles in the midaltitude cusp/cleft region observed by Viking, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 5753–5766, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lockwood, M., Relationship of dayside precipitation to the open-closed separatrix and the pattern of convection flow, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 17475–17487, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lockwood, M., S. W. Cowley, P. E. Sandholt, and U. P. Lovhaug, Causes of plasma flow bursts and dayside auroral transients: an evaluation of two models invoking reconnection pulses and chaned in the Y component of the magnetosheath field, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 7613–7626, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lockwood, M., S. W. H. Cowley, and T. G. Onsager, Ion acceleration at both the interior and exterior Alfven waves associated with the magnetopause reconnection site: Signatures in cusp precipitation, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 21501–21513, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maezawa, K., Magnetospheric convection induced by the positive and negative Z components of the interplanetary magnetic field: quantitative analysis using polar cap magnetic records, J. Geophys. Res., 81, 2289–2303, 1976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maynard, N. C., W. J. Burke, P. E. Sandholt, J. Moen, D. M. Ober, M. Lester, D. R. Weimer, and A. Egeland, Observations of simultaneous effects of merging in both hemispheres, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 24551–24578, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menietti, J. D. and J. L. Burch, Spatial extent of the plasma injection region in the cusp-magnetosheath interface, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 105–113, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukai, T., N. Kaya, E. Sagawa, M. Hirahara, W. Miyake, T. Obara, H. Miyaoka, S. Machida, H. Yamagishi, M. Ejiri, H. Matsumoto, and T. Itoh, Low energy charged particle observation in the „auroral” magnetosphere: First results from Akebono (EXOS-D) satellite, J. Geomag. Geoelectr., 42, 479–496, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newell, P. T. and C.-I. Meng, Cusp width and Bz: Observations and conceptual model, J. Geophys. Res., 92, 13673–13678, 1987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newell, P. T. and C.-I. Meng, The cusp and the cleft/boundary layer: Low-altitude identification and statistical local time variation, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 14549–14556, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newell, P. T., C.-I. Meng, D. G. Sibeck, and R. Lepping, Some low-altitude cusp dependencies on the interplanetary magnetic field, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 8921–8927, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newell, P. T., W. J. Burke, C.-I. Meng, E. R. Sanches, and M. E. Greenspan, Identification and observations of the plasma mantle at low altitude, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 35–45, 1991a.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newell, P. T., W. J. Burke, C.-I. Meng, E. R. Sanches, M. E. Greenspan, and C. R. Clauer, The low-latitude boundary layer and the boundary plasma sheet at low altitude: Prenoon precipitation regions and convection reversal boundaries, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 21013–21023, 1991b.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onsager, T. G., C. A. Kletzing, J. B. Austin, and H. MacKiernan, Model of magnetosheath plasma in the magnetosphere: Cusp and mantle particles at low-altitudes, Geophys. Res. Let., 20, 479–482, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onsager, T. G., S.-W. Chang, J. D. Perez, J. B. Austin, and L. X. Janoo, Low-altitude observations and modeling of quasi-steady magnetopause reconnection, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 11831–11843, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onsager, T. G., J. D. Scudder, M. Lockwood, and C. T. Russell, Reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause during northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 25467–25488, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reiff, P. H., T. W. Hill, and J. L. Burch, Solar wind plasma injection at the dayside magnetospheric cusp, J. Geophys. Res., 82, 479–491, 1977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridley, A. J., G. Lu, C. R. Clauer, and V. O. Papitashvili, A statistical study of the ionospheric convection response to changing interplanetary magnetic field conditions using the assimilative mapping of ionospheric electrodynamics technique, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 4023–4040, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbauer, H., H. Grunwaldt, M. D. Montgomery, G. Paschmann, and N. Sckopke, Heos 2 plasma observations in the distant polar magnetosphere: the plasma mantle, J. Geophys. Res., 80, 2723–2737, 1975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandholt, P. E. and C. J. Farrugia, Does the aurora provide evidence for the occurrence of antiparallel magnetopause reconnection?, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 1466, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shue, J.-H., J. K. Chao, H. C. Fu, C. T. Russell, P. Song, K. K. Khurana, and H. J. Singer, A new functional form to study the solar wind control of the magnetopause size and shape, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 9497–9511, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sibeck, D. G., R. E. Lopez, and E. C. Roelof, Solar wind control of the magnetopause shape, location, and motion, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 5489–5495, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stasiewicz, K., A global model of gyroviscous field line merging at the magnetopause, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 77–86, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stubbs, T. J., P. J. Cargill, M. Lockwood, M. Grande, B. J. Kellett, and C. H. Perry, Extended cusp-like regions and their dependence on the Polar orbit, seasonal variations, and interplanetary conditions, J. Geophys. Res., 109, A09210, 2004.

  • Twitty, C., T. D. Phan, G. Paschmann, B. Lavraud, H. Rème, and M. Dunlop, Cluster survey of cusp reconnection and its IMF dependence, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L19808, 2004.

  • Woch, J. and R. Lundin, Magnetosheath plasma precipitation in the polar cusp and its control by the interplanetary magnetic field, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 1421–1430, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 4-2-1 Nukuikita, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8795, Japan

    Asai Keiko T.

  2. Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan

    Kiyoshi Maezawa, Toshifumi Mukai & Hajime Hayakawa

Authors
  1. Asai Keiko T.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kiyoshi Maezawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Toshifumi Mukai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hajime Hayakawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Asai Keiko T..

Rights and permissions

Open Access  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.

The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Asai, K.T., Maezawa, K., Mukai, T. et al. Latitudinal and longitudinal displacement of cusp ion precipitation controlled by IMF By and Bz. Earth Planet Sp 57, 627–641 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351842

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351842

Key words

  • Cusp
  • cusp precipitation
  • magnetic reconnection
  • dayside merging
  • interplanetary magnetic field