The SuperDARN’s role in ion-neutral coupling research

Billett, Daniel; McWilliams, K. A.

doi:10.1016/j.polar.2020.100624

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…SuperDARN observations have been used extensively to conduct research on the ionneutral coupling, permitting a deeper insight into the link between the ionosphere and the thermosphere, see Billett and McWilliams (2020) for an overview of SuperDARN related results on this topic.…”

Section: Superdarnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Environmental Monitoring by Means of Radio Waves in the Polar Regions: From Atmosphere to Geospace

et al. 2022

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The Antarctic and Arctic regions are Earth's open windows to outer space. They provide unique opportunities for investigating the troposphere–thermosphere–ionosphere–plasmasphere system at high latitudes, which is not as well understood as the mid- and low-latitude regions mainly due to the paucity of experimental observations. In addition, different neutral and ionised atmospheric layers at high latitudes are much more variable compared to lower latitudes, and their variability is due to mechanisms not yet fully understood. Fortunately, in this new millennium the observing infrastructure in Antarctica and the Arctic has been growing, thus providing scientists with new opportunities to advance our knowledge on the polar atmosphere and geospace. This review shows that it is of paramount importance to perform integrated, multi-disciplinary research, making use of long-term multi-instrument observations combined with ad hoc measurement campaigns to improve our capability of investigating atmospheric dynamics in the polar regions from the troposphere up to the plasmasphere, as well as the coupling between atmospheric layers. Starting from the state of the art of understanding the polar atmosphere, our survey outlines the roadmap for enhancing scientific investigation of its physical mechanisms and dynamics through the full exploitation of the available infrastructures for radio-based environmental monitoring.

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Section: Superdarnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Environmental Monitoring by Means of Radio Waves in the Polar Regions: From Atmosphere to Geospace

et al. 2022

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“…It has also been a challenge, however, as measurements of the neutral wind can be difficult to obtain on large scales. Analysis of neutral winds in the context of geomagnetic activity has thus often relied on measurements within limited regions, statistics, and modelling (Meriwether, 2006;Billett and McWilliams, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid-Latitude Neutral Wind Responses to Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams

Billett

McWilliams

Kerr

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Abstract. We investigate the response of the mid-latitude thermospheric neutral winds to a sub-auroral polarisation stream (SAPS) event. Using red-line (F-region) airglow data from two Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs), and F-region ionospheric flow velocities from four Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radars, the drivers behind changes seen in the neutral winds are explored within the context of the larger SAPS structure. Different, although strong, neutral wind responses to the SAPS are seen at the two FPI sites, even though they are relatively close geographically. We attribute the wind differences to the varying balance of pressure gradient, ion-drag, and Coriolis forces, which ultimately depend on proximity to the SAPS. At the FPI site equatorward of the SAPS, pressure-gradient and Coriolis forces drive the winds equatorward and then westward. At the FPI site co-located with the SAPS, ion-drag is strong and results in the winds surging westward, before turning eastward when becoming influenced by dawnside sunward plasma convection drifts.

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Effect of Polar Cap Patches on the High‐Latitude Upper Thermospheric Winds

Cai,

Aikio,

Oyama

et al. 2024

JGR Space Physics

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This study focuses on the poorly known effect of polar cap patches (PCPs) on the ion‐neutral coupling in the F‐region. The PCPs were identified by total electron content measurements from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the ionospheric parameters from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft. The EISCAT incoherent scatter radars on Svalbard and at Tromsø, Norway observed that PCPs entered the nightside auroral oval from the polar cap and became plasma blobs. The ionospheric convection further transported the plasma blobs to the duskside. Simultaneously, long‐lasting strong upper thermospheric winds were detected in the duskside auroral oval by a Fabry‐Perot Interferometer (FPI) at Tromsø and in the polar cap by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite. Using EISCAT ion velocities and plasma parameters as well as FPI winds, the ion drag acting on neutrals and the time constant for the ion drag could be estimated. Due to the arrival of PCPs/blobs and the accompanied increase in the F‐region electron densities, the ion drag is enhanced between about 220 and 500 km altitudes. At the F peak altitudes near 300 km, the median ion drag acceleration affecting neutrals more than doubled and the associated median e‐folding time decreased from 4.4 to 2 hr. The strong neutral wind was found to be driven primarily by the ion drag force due to large‐scale ionospheric convection. Our results provide a new insight into ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling in the presence of PCPs/blobs.

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The SuperDARN’s role in ion-neutral coupling research

Cited by 4 publications

References 70 publications

Review of Environmental Monitoring by Means of Radio Waves in the Polar Regions: From Atmosphere to Geospace

Review of Environmental Monitoring by Means of Radio Waves in the Polar Regions: From Atmosphere to Geospace

Mid-Latitude Neutral Wind Responses to Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams

Effect of Polar Cap Patches on the High‐Latitude Upper Thermospheric Winds

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