The magnitudes of the regions 1 and 2 Birkeland currents observed by AMPERE and their role in solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling

Coxon, John, Milan, S. E., Clausen, L. B. N., Anderson, B. J. and Korth, H. (2014) The magnitudes of the regions 1 and 2 Birkeland currents observed by AMPERE and their role in solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 119 (12). pp. 9804-9815. ISSN 2169-9380

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA020138

Abstract

In this paper we present the first large-scale statistical study of the influence of magnetic reconnection on the magnitude of the regions 1 and 2 Birkeland field-aligned currents (FACs). While previous studies have employed single spacecraft measurements to construct a statistical picture of the location and density of the Birkeland currents, it has hitherto been difficult to compare in situ measurements of the solar wind with instantaneous global field-aligned current measurements. To that end, we utilize the Active Magnetosphere Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE), which yields field-aligned current density in both hemispheres at a cadence of 10 min. We quantify the amount of current flowing in the regions 1 (R1) and 2 (R2) FACs, and we compare these with the dayside reconnection rate ΦD deduced from interplanetary parameters from the OMNI data set and with the AL index to examine whether magnetic reconnection is responsible for driving currents in the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system. We find that current magnitudes are strongly correlated with both ΦD and AL index. We also find that R1 currents tend to be higher than R2 currents during periods of magnetic reconnection, suggesting leakage of current across the polar cap or an association with the substorm current wedge.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding information: STFC. Grant Numbers: ST/H002480/1, ST/K001000/1
Uncontrolled Keywords: AMPERE, field-aligned currents, magnetic reconnection, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, solar wind-magnetosphere coupling, substorms
Subjects: F800 Physical and Terrestrial Geographical and Environmental Sciences
Department: Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Depositing User: Rachel Branson
Date Deposited: 01 Feb 2022 12:01
Last Modified: 01 Feb 2022 12:15
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/48321

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