bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of boreal-summer circulation and precipitation to atmospheric aerosols in selected regions – Part 1: Africa and India
Authors: Sud Y. C. , Wilcox E. , Lau W. K.-M. , Walker G. K. , Liu X.-H. , Nenes A. , Lee D. , Kim K.-M. , Zhou Y. , Bhattacharjee P. S.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Version-4 of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-4) General Circulation Model (GCM) was employed to assess the influence of potential changes in aerosols on the regional circulation, ambient temperatures, and precipitation in four selected regions: India and Africa (current paper), as well as North and South America (companion paper). Ensemble-simulations were carried out with the GCM to assess the aerosol direct and indirect effects, hereafter ADE and AIE. Each simulation was started from the NCEP-analyzed initial conditions for 1 May and was integrated through May-June-July-August of each year: 1982–1987 to provide an ensemble set of six simulations. In the first set, called experiment (#1), climatological aerosols were prescribed. The next two experiments (#2 and #3) had two sets of simulations each: one with 2X and other with 1/2X the climatological aerosols over each of the four selected regions. In experiment #2, the anomaly regions were advectively restricted (AR), i.e., the large-scale prognostic fields outside the aerosol anomaly regions were prescribed while in experiment #3, the anomaly regions were advectively Interactive (AI) as is the case in a normal GCM integrations, but with the same aerosols anomalies as in experiment #2. Intercomparisons of circulation, diabatic heating, and precipitation difference fields showed large disparities among the AR and AI simulations, which raised serious questions about the proverbial AR assumption, commonly invoked in regional climate simulation studies. Consequently AI simulation mode was chosen for the subsequent studies. Two more experiments (#4 and #5) were performed in the AI mode in which ADE and AIE were activated one at a time. The results showed that ADE and AIE work in concert to make the joint influences larger than sum of each acting alone. Moreover, the ADE and AIE influences were vastly different for the Indian and Africa regions, which suggest an imperative need to include them rationally in climate models. We also found that the aerosol induced increase of tropical cirrus clouds would potentially offset any cirrus thinning that may occur due to warming in response to CO2 increase.
Spectral wave analysis at the mesopause from SCIAMACHY airglow data compared to SABER temperature spectra
Authors: Ern M. , Lehmann C. , Kaufmann M. , Riese M.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Space-time spectral analysis of satellite data is an important method to derive a synoptic picture of the atmosphere from measurements sampled asynoptically by satellite instruments. In addition, it serves as a powerful tool to identify and separate different wave modes in the atmospheric data. In our work we present space-time spectral analyses of chemical heating rates derived from Scanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) hydroxyl nightglow emission measurements onboard Envisat for the years 2002–2006 at mesopause heights. Since SCIAMACHY nightglow hydroxyl emission measurements are restricted to the ascending (nighttime) part of the satellite orbit, our analysis also includes temperature spectra derived from 15 μm CO2 emissions measured by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument. SABER offers better temporal and spatial coverage (daytime and night-time values of temperature) and a more regular sampling grid. Therefore SABER spectra also contain information about higher frequency waves. Comparison of SCIAMACHY and SABER results shows that SCIAMACHY, in spite of its observational restrictions, provides valuable information on most of the wave modes present in the mesopause region. The main differences between wave spectra obtained from these sensors can be attributed to the differences in their sampling patterns.
Variabilities of mesospheric tides and equatorial electrojet strength during major stratospheric warming events
Authors: Sridharan S. , Sathishkumar S. , Gurubaran S.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The present study demonstrates the relationship between the high latitude northern hemispheric major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events and the reversal in the afternoon equatorial electrojet (EEJ), often called the counter-electrojet (CEJ), during the winter months of 1998–1999, 2001–2002, 2003–2004 and 2005–2006. As the EEJ current system is driven by tidal winds, an investigation of tidal variabilities in the MF radar observed zonal winds during the winters of 1998–1999 and 2005–2006 at 88 km over Tirunelveli, a site close to the magnetic equator, shows that there is an enhancement of semi-diurnal tidal amplitude during the days of a major SSW event and a suppression of the same immediately after the event. The significance of the present results lies in demonstrating the latitudinal coupling between the high latitude SSW phenomenon and the equatorial ionospheric current system with clear evidence for major SSW events influencing the day-to-day variability of the CEJ.
Occurrence and location of concentrated load and generator regions observed by Cluster in the plasma sheet
Authors: Hamrin M. , Norqvist P. , Marghitu O. , Buchert S. , Klecker B. , Kistler L. M. , Dandouras I.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Here, and in a companion paper by Hamrin et al. (2009) [Scale size and life time of energy conversion regions observed by Cluster in the plasma sheet], we investigate localized energy conversion regions (ECRs) in the Earth's plasma sheet. In total we have studied 151 ECRs within 660 h of plasma sheet data from the summer and fall of 2001 when Cluster was close to apogee at an altitude of about 15–20 RE. Cluster offers appropriate conditions for the investigation of energy conversion by the evaluation of the power density, E·J, where E is the electric field and J the current density. From the sign of the power density, we have identified more than three times as many Concentrated Load Regions (CLRs) as Concentrated Generator Regions (CGRs). We also note that the CLRs appear to be stronger. To our knowledge, these are the first in situ observations confirming the general notion of the plasma sheet, on the average, behaving as a load. At the same time the plasma sheet appears to be highly structured, with energy conversion occurring in both directions between the fields and the particles. From our data we also find that the CLRs appear to be located closer to the neutral sheet, while CGRs prefer locations towards the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL). For both CLRs and CGRs, E and J in the GSM y (cross-tail) direction dominate the total power density, even though the z contribution occasionally can be significant. The prevalence of the y-direction seems to be weaker for the CGRs, possibly related to a higher fluctuation level near the PSBL.
Vertical distribution of aerosols over the east coast of India inferred from airborne LIDAR measurements
Authors: Satheesh S. K. , Vinoj V. , Suresh Babu S. , Krishna Moorthy K. , Nair Vijayakumar S.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The information on altitude distribution of aerosols in the atmosphere is essential in assessing the impact of aerosol warming on thermal structure and stability of the atmosphere. In addition, aerosol altitude distribution is needed to address complex problems such as the radiative interaction of aerosols in the presence of clouds. With this objective, an extensive, multi-institutional and multi-platform field experiment (ICARB-Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget) was carried out under the Geosphere Biosphere Programme of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO-GBP) over continental India and adjoining oceans during March to May 2006. Here, we present airborne LIDAR measurements carried out over the east Coast of the India during the ICARB field campaign. An increase in aerosol extinction (scattering + absorption) was observed from the surface upwards with a maximum around 2 to 4 km. Aerosol extinction at higher atmospheric layers (>2 km) was two to three times larger compared to that of the surface. A large fraction (75–85%) of aerosol column optical depth was contributed by aerosols located above 1 km. The aerosol layer heights (defined in this paper as the height at which the gradient in extinction coefficient changes sign) showed a gradual decrease with an increase in the offshore distance. A large fraction (60–75%) of aerosol was found located above clouds indicating enhanced aerosol absorption above clouds. Our study implies that a detailed statistical evaluation of the temporal frequency and spatial extent of elevated aerosol layers is necessary to assess their significance to the climate. This is feasible using data from space-borne lidars such as CALIPSO, which fly in formation with other satellites like MODIS AQUA and MISR, as part of the A-Train constellation.
MHD aspect of current sheet oscillations related to magnetic field gradients
Authors: Erkaev N. V. , Semenov V. S. , Kubyshkin I. V. , Kubyshkina M. V. , Biernat H. K.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. One-fluid ideal MHD model is applied for description of current sheet flapping disturbances appearing due to a gradient of the normal magnetic field component. The wave modes are studied which are associated to the flapping waves observed in the Earth's magnetotail current sheet. In a linear approximation, solutions are obtained for model profiles of the electric current and plasma densities across the current sheet, which are described by hyperbolic functions. The flapping eigenfrequency is found as a function of wave number. For the Earth's magnetotail conditions, the estimated wave group speed is of the order of a few tens kilometers per second. The current sheet can be stable or unstable in dependence on the direction of the gradient of the normal magnetic field component. The obtained dispersion function is used for calculation of the flapping wave disturbances, which are produced by the given initial Gaussian perturbation at the center of the current sheet and propagating towards the flanks. The propagating flapping pulse has a smooth leading front, and a small scale oscillating trailing front, because the short wave oscillations propagate much slower than the long wave ones.
Relationship between variability of the semidiurnal tide in the Northern Hemisphere mesosphere and quasi-stationary planetary waves throughout the global middle atmosphere
Authors: Xu X. , Manson A. H. , Meek C. E. , Chshyolkova T. , Drummond J. R. , Hall C. M. , Jacobi Ch. , Riggin D. , Hibbins R. E. , Tsutsumi M. , Hocking W. K. , Ward W. E.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. To investigate possible couplings between planetary waves and the semidiurnal tide (SDT), this work examines the statistical correlations between the SDT amplitudes observed in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) mesosphere and stationary planetary wave (SPW) with wavenumber S=1 (SPW1) amplitudes throughout the global stratosphere and mesosphere. The latter are derived from the Aura-MLS temperature measurements. During NH summer-fall (July–October), the mesospheric SDT amplitudes observed at Svalbard (78° N) and Eureka (80° N) usually do not show persistent correlations with the SPW1 amplitudes in the opposite hemisphere. Although the SDT amplitudes observed at lower latitudes (~50–70° N), especially at Saskatoon (52° N), are often shown to be highly and positively correlated with the SPW1 amplitudes in high southern latitudes, these correlations cannot be sufficiently explained as evidence for a direct physical link between the Southern Hemisphere (SH) winter-early spring SPW and NH summer-early fall mesospheric SDT. This is because the migrating tide's contribution is usually dominant in the mid-high latitude (~50–70° N) NH mesosphere during the local late summer-early fall (July–September). The numerical correlation is dominated by similar low-frequency variability or trends between the amplitudes of the NH SDT and SH SPW1 during the respective equinoctial transitions. In contradistinction, during NH winter (November–February), the mesospheric SDT amplitudes at northern mid-high latitudes (~50–80° N) are observed to be significantly and positively correlated with the SPW1 amplitudes in the same hemisphere in most cases. Because both the SPW and migrating SDT are large in the NH during the local winter, a non-linear interaction between SPW and migrating SDT probably occurs, thus providing a global non-migrating SDT. This is consistent with observations of SDT in Antarctica that are large in summer than in winter. It is suggested that climatological hemispheric asymmetry, e.g. the SH and NH winter characteristics are substantially different, lead to differences in the inter-hemispheric SPW-tide physical links.
Topside measurements at Jicamarca during solar minimum
Authors: Hysell D. L. , Chau J. L. , Huba J. D.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Long-pulse topside radar data acquired at Jicamarca and processed using full-profile analysis are compared to data processed using more conventional, range-gated approaches and with analytic and computational models. The salient features of the topside observations include a dramatic increase in the Te/Ti temperature ratio above the F peak at dawn and a local minimum in the topside plasma temperature in the afternoon. The hydrogen ion fraction was found to exhibit hyperbolic tangent-shaped profiles that become shallow (gradually changing) above the O+-H+ transition height during the day. The profile shapes are generally consistent with diffusive equilibrium, although shallowing to the point of changes in inflection can only be accounted for by taking the effects of E×B drifts and meridional winds into account. The SAMI2 model demonstrates this as well as the substantial effect that drifts and winds can have on topside temperatures. Significant quiet-time variability in the topside composition and temperatures may be due to variability in the mechanical forcing. Correlations between topside measurements and magnetometer data at Jicamarca support this hypothesis.
Deriving solar transient characteristics from single spacecraft STEREO/HI elongation variations: a theoretical assessment of the technique
Authors: Williams A. O. , Davies J. A. , Milan S. E. , Rouillard A. P. , Davis C. J. , Perry C. H. , Harrison R. A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Recently, a technique has been developed whereby the radial velocity, Vr, and longitude direction, β, of propagation of an outward-moving solar transient, such as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), can be estimated from its track in a time-elongation map produced using Heliospheric Imager (HI) observations from a single STEREO spacecraft. The method employed, which takes advantage of an artefact of projective geometry, is based on the evaluation of the best fit of the time-elongation profile of the transient, extracted from a time-elongation map, to a set of theoretical functions corresponding to known combinations of radial velocity and direction; here we present an initial theoretical assessment of the efficacy of this technique. As the method relies on the manual selection of points along the time-elongation profile, an assessment of the accuracy with which this is feasible, is initially made. The work then presented assesses theoretically this method of recovering the velocity and propagation direction of solar transients from their time-elongation profiles using a Monte-Carlo simulation approach. In particular, we assess the range of elongations over which it is necessary to make observations in order to accurately recover these parameters. Results of the Monte-Carlo simulations suggest that it is sufficient to track a solar transient out to around 40° elongation to provide accurate estimates of its associated radial velocity and direction; the accuracy to which these parameters can be estimated for a transient tracked over a particular elongation extent is, however, sensitive to its velocity and direction relative to the Sun-Spacecraft line. These initial results suggest that this technique based on single spacecraft STEREO/HI observations could prove extremely useful in terms of providing an early warning of a CME impact on the near-Earth environment.
Inverse reconstruction technique based on time-dependent Petschek-type reconnection model: first application to THEMIS magnetotail observations
Authors: Ivanova V. , Liu J. , Kiehas S. , Semenov V. , Biernat H.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We apply the inverse reconstruction technique based on the two-dimensional time-dependent Petschek-type reconnection model to a dual bipolar magnetic structure observed by THEMIS B probe in the Earth's magnetotail during a substorm on 22 February 2008 around 04:35 UT. The technique exploits the recorded bipolar magnetic field variation as an input and provides the reconnection electric field and the location of the X-line as an output. As a result of the technique application, we get (1) the electric field, reaching ~1.1 mV/m at the maximum and consisting of two successive pulses with total duration of ~6 min, and (2) the approximate X-line position located in the magnetotail between 18 and 20 RE.
Rosetta and Mars Express observations of the influence of high solar wind pressure on the Martian plasma environment
Authors: Edberg N. J. T. , Auster U. , Barabash S. , Bößwetter A. , Brain D. A. , Burch J. L. , Carr C. M. , Cowley S. W. H. , Cupido E. , Duru F. , Eriksson A. I. , Fränz M. , Glassmeier K.-H. , Goldstein R. , Lester M. , Lundin R. , Modolo R. , Nilsson H. , Richter I. , Samara M. , Trotignon J. G.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We report on new simultaneous in-situ observations at Mars from Rosetta and Mars Express (MEX) on how the Martian plasma environment is affected by high pressure solar wind. A significant sharp increase in solar wind density, magnetic field strength and turbulence followed by a gradual increase in solar wind velocity is observed during ~24 h in the combined data set from both spacecraft after Rosetta's closest approach to Mars on 25 February 2007. The bow shock and magnetic pileup boundary are coincidently observed by MEX to become asymmetric in their shapes. The fortunate orbit of MEX at this time allows a study of the inbound boundary crossings on one side of the planet and the outbound crossings on almost the opposite side, both very close to the terminator plane. The solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) downstream of Mars are monitored through simultaneous measurements provided by Rosetta. Possible explanations for the asymmetries are discussed, such as crustal magnetic fields and IMF direction. In the same interval, during the high solar wind pressure pulse, MEX observations show an increased amount of escaping planetary ions from the polar region of Mars. We link the high pressure solar wind with the observed simultaneous ion outflow and discuss how the pressure pulse could also be associated with the observed boundary shape asymmetry.
Characteristics of mesospheric gravity waves near the magnetic equator, Brazil, during the SpreadFEx campaign
Authors: Taylor M. J. , Pautet P.-D. , Medeiros A. F. , Buriti R. , Fechine J. , Fritts D. C. , Vadas S. L. , Takahashi H. , São Sabbas F. T.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. As part of the SpreadFEx campaign, coordinated optical and radio measurements were made from Brazil to investigate the occurrence and properties of equatorial Spread F, and to characterize the regional mesospheric gravity wave field. All-sky image measurements were made from two sites: Brasilia and Cariri located ~10° S of the magnetic equator and separated by ~1500 km. In particular, the observations from Brasilia provided key data in relatively close proximity to expected convective sources of the gravity waves. High-quality image measurements of the mesospheric OH emission and the thermospheric OI (630 nm) emission were made during two consecutive new moon periods (22 September to 9 November 2005) providing extensive data on the occurrence and properties of F-region depletions and regional measurements of the dominant gravity wave characteristics at each site. A total of 120 wave displays were observed, comprising 94 short-period events and 26 medium-scale gravity waves. The characteristics of the small-scale waves agreed well with previous gravity wave studies from Brazil and other sites. However, significant differences in the wave propagation headings indicate dissimilar source regions for the Brasilia and Cariri datasets. The observed medium-scale gravity wave events constitute an important new dataset to study their mesospheric properties at equatorial latitudes. These data exhibited similar propagation headings to the short-period events, suggesting they originated from the same source regions. Medium-scale waves are generally less susceptible to wind filtering effects and modeling studies utilizing these data have successfully identified localized regions of strong convection, mainly to the west of Brasilia, as their most likely sources (Vadas et al., 2009).
Retrieval of static stability parameter from the radiosonde/rawinsonde ascent rate profiles: a wavelet approach
Authors: Dolas Prakash M. , Kishore Kumar Karanam
Published: June 2010

Abstract. In the present communication a novel method is presented to derive the altitude profile of Brunt-Väisälä period from the ascent rate profile of sounding balloons. The basic premise of the present method is that the oscillations in the ascent rate of the balloon will have the signature of Brunt-Väisälä frequency, which can be retrieved by using sophisticated spectral tools. We employ wavelet transforms to arrive at the Brunt-Väisälä period profile. Comparison of retrieved Brunt-Väisälä periods with the values derived from the temperature data available from the same radiosonde ascent shows good agreement. Retrieving the atmospheric temperature from the height profile of Brunt-Väisälä period is also discussed in the present communication. We have shown that it is possible to estimate the Brunt-Väisälä period and temperature profiles from the rawinsonde ascent rate data alone where temperature sounding is not available.
Plasmoid formation for multiple onset substorms: observations of the Japanese Lunar Mission "Kaguya"
Authors: Nagai T. , Tsunakawa H. , Shibuya H. , Takahashi F. , Shimizu H. , Matsushima M. , Nishino M. N. , Yokota Y. , Asamura K. , Tanaka T. , Saito Y. , Amm O.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The Japanese Lunar Mission "Kaguya" carried out its first magnetic field and plasma measurements in the Earth's magnetotail on 22 December 2007. Fortuitously, three well-defined multiple onset substoms took place. Kaguya was located in the premidnight magnetotail at radial distances of 56 RE and observed plasmoids and/or traveling compression regions (TCRs). Although the present study is based on limited data sets, important issues on multiple onset substorms can be examined. Each onset in a series of onsets releases a plasmoid, and magnetic reconnection likely proceeds to tail lobe field lines for each onset. Since the duration of each plasmoid is less than 5 min, these observations imply that magnetic reconnection for each onset can develop fully to the tail lobe field lines and be quenched within this timescale.
Superposed epoch analysis of the ionospheric convection evolution during substorms: onset latitude dependence
Authors: Grocott A. , Wild J. A. , Milan S. E. , Yeoman T. K.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Using data from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) we investigate the ionospheric convection response to magnetospheric substorms. Substorms were identified using the Far Ultraviolet (FUV) instrument on board the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft, and were then binned according to the magnetic latitude of their onset. A superposed epoch analysis of the ionospheric convection patterns for each onset-latitude bin was then performed using radar data for the interval 60 min before onset to 90 min after. It is found that lower onset-latitude substorms are associated with generally more enhanced convection than the higher latitude substorms, although they suffer from a significant localised reduction of the flow in the midnight sector during the expansion phase. Higher-latitude substorms are associated with a significant and rapid increase in the nightside convection following substorm onset, with all onset-latitude bins showing an enhancement over onset values by ~60 min into the expansion phase. A rudimentary inspection of the concurrent auroral evolution suggests that the duration of the flow reduction following substorm onset is dependent on the strength and duration of the expansion phase aurora and its associated conductivity enhancement.
Method for assessing the amplitude modulation of the stationary planetary waves
Authors: Mukhtarov P. , Pancheva D. , Andonov B.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. This short-communication presents a new method for assessing the amplitude modulation of the stationary planetary waves (SPWs). The suggested procedure allows estimating the contribution of the amplitude modulated SPWs to the field of the zonally travelling planetary waves. The root of the method consists in calculating of a quantity that is analogous to 2-D Lomb-Scargle amplitude spectrum and also the relative error of the approximation. The amplitude "spectra" of the SPWs give information about the period(s) of modulation, while the relative errors - define the coefficient(s) of modulation. The suggested method is applied to the UKMO temperature data for the Arctic winter of 2004–2005.
Signatures of 2-day wave in the E-region electric fields and their relationship to winds and ionospheric currents
Authors: Aveiro H. C. , Denardini C. M. , Abdu M. A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We analyze the effects of the 2-day wave activity in the EEJ using one coherent scatter radar and eight magnetometer stations located close to the dip equator. The wavelet analysis of the magnetometer data reveals a 2-day signature in the semidiurnal geomagnetic tide. The E-region zonal background ionospheric electric field, derived from coherent radar measurements, shows 2-day oscillations in agreement with such oscillations in the magnetometers data. An anticorrelation between the amplitude of the tidal periodicites (diurnal and semidiurnal) and that of the 2-day signature is also shown in the electric fields. The results are compared with simultaneous observations of 2-day planetary wave in meridional winds and ionosonde data. Further, our results are discussed based on the analysis of the magnetic activity.
First in situ measurement of the vertical distribution of ice volume in a mesospheric ice cloud during the ECOMA/MASS rocket-campaign
Authors: Rapp M. , Strelnikova I. , Strelnikov B. , Latteck R. , Baumgarten G. , Li Q. , Megner L. , Gumbel J. , Friedrich M. , Hoppe U.-P. , Robertson S.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We present in situ observations of mesospheric ice particles with a new particle detector which combines a classical Faraday cup with the active photoionization of particles and subsequent detection of photoelectrons. Our observations of charged particles and free electrons within a decaying PMSE-layer reveal that the presence of charged particles is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the presence of PMSE. That is, additional requirements like a sufficiently large electron density – which we here estimate to be on the order of ~100 cm−3 – and the presence of small scale structures (commonly assumed to be caused by turbulence) need to be satisfied. Our photoelectron measurements reveal a very strong horizontal structuring of the investigated ice layer, i.e., a very broad layer (82–88 km) seen on the upleg is replaced by a narrow layer from 84.5–86 km only 50 km apart on the downleg of the rocket flight. Importantly, the qualitative structure of these photoelectron profiles is in remarkable qualitative agreement with photometer measurements on the same rocket thus demonstrating the reliability of this new technique. We then show that the photoelectron currents are a unique function of the ice particle volume density (and hence ice mass) within an uncertainty of only 15% and we derive corresponding altitude profiles of ice volume densities. Derived values are in the range ~2–8×10−14 cm3/cm3 (corresponding to mass densities of ~20–80 ng/m3, and water vapor mixing ratios of 3–12 ppm) and are the first such estimates with the unique spatial resolution of an in situ measurement.
The ECOMA 2007 campaign: rocket observations and numerical modelling of aerosol particle charging and plasma depletion in a PMSE/NLC layer
Authors: Brattli A. , Lie-Svendsen Ø. , Svenes K. , Hoppe U.-P. , Strelnikova I. , Rapp M. , Latteck R. , Friedrich M.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The ECOMA series of rocket payloads use a set of aerosol particle, plasma, and optical instruments to study the properties of aerosol particles and their interaction with the ambient plasma environment in the polar mesopause region. In August 2007 the ECOMA-3 payload was launched into a region with Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes (PMSE) and noctilucent clouds (NLC). An electron depletion was detected in a broad region between 83 and 88 km, coincident with enhanced density of negatively charged aerosol particles. We also find evidence for positive ion depletion in the same region. Charge neutrality requires that a population of positively charged particles smaller than 2 nm and with a density of at least 2×108 m−3 must also have been present in the layer, undetected by the instruments. A numerical model for the charging of aerosol particles and their interaction with the ambient plasma is used to analyse the results, showing that high aerosol particle densities are required in order to explain the observed ion density depletion. The model also shows that a very high photoionisation rate is required for the particles smaller than 2 nm to become positively charged, indicating that these may have a lower work function than pure water ice.
Comparison of the performance of different radar pulse compression techniques in an incoherent scatter radar measurement
Authors: Damtie B. , Lehtinen M. S.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Improving an estimate of an incoherent scatter radar signal is vital to provide reliable and unbiased information about the Earth's ionosphere. Thus optimizing the measurement spatial and temporal resolutions has attracted considerable attention. The optimization usually relies on employing different kinds of pulse compression filters in the analysis and a matched filter is perhaps the most widely used one. A mismatched filter has also been used in order to suppress the undesirable sidelobes that appear in the case of matched filtering. Moreover, recently an adaptive pulse compression method, which can be derived based on the minimum mean-square error estimate, has been proposed. In this paper we have investigated the performance of matched, mismatched and adaptive pulse compression methods in terms of the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the variance and bias of the estimator. This is done by using different types of optimal radar waveforms. It is shown that for the case of low SNR the signal degradation associated to an adaptive filtering is less than that of the mismatched filtering. The SNR loss of both matched and adaptive pulse compression techniques was found to be nearly the same for most of the investigated codes for the case of high SNR. We have shown that the adaptive filtering technique is a compromise between matched and mismatched filtering method when one evaluates its performance in terms of the variance and the bias of the estimator. All the three analysis methods were found to have the same performance when a sidelobe-free matched filter code is employed.
The influence of geomagnetic activity on mesospheric summer echoes in middle and polar latitudes
Authors: Zeller O. , Bremer J.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The dependence of mesospheric VHF radar echoes during summer months on geomagnetic activity has been investigated with observation data of the OSWIN radar in Kühlungsborn (54° N) and of the ALWIN radar in Andenes (69° N). Using daily mean values of VHF radar echoes and of geomagnetic activity indices in superimposed epoch analyses, the comparison of both data sets shows in general stronger radar echoes on the day of the maximum geomagnetic activity, the maximum value one day after the geomagnetic disturbance, and enhanced radar echoes also on the following 2–3 days. This phenomenon is observed at middle and polar latitudes and can be explained by precipitating particle fluxes during the ionospheric post storm effect. At polar latitudes, the radar echoes decrease however during and one day after very strong geomagnetic disturbances. The possible reason of this surprising effect is discussed.
Velocity fluctuations in polar solar wind: a comparison between different solar cycles
Authors: Bavassano B. , Bruno R. , D'Amicis R.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The polar solar wind is a fast, tenuous and steady flow that, with the exception of a relatively short phase around the Sun's activity maximum, fills the high-latitude heliosphere. The polar wind properties have been extensively investigated by Ulysses, the first spacecraft able to perform in-situ measurements in the high-latitude heliosphere. The out-of-ecliptic phases of Ulysses cover about seventeen years. This makes possible to study heliospheric properties at high latitudes in different solar cycles. In the present investigation we focus on hourly- to daily-scale fluctuations of the polar wind velocity. Though the polar wind is a quite uniform flow, fluctuations in its velocity do not appear negligible. A simple way to characterize wind velocity variations is that of performing a multi-scale statistical analysis of the wind velocity differences. Our analysis is based on the computation of velocity differences at different time lags and the evaluation of statistical quantities (mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis) for the different ensembles. The results clearly show that, though differences exist in the three-dimensional structure of the heliosphere between the investigated solar cycles, the velocity fluctuations in the core of polar coronal holes exhibit essentially unchanged statistical properties.
Quasiperiodic ULF-pulsations in Saturn's magnetosphere
Authors: Kleindienst G. , Glassmeier K.-H. , Simon S. , Dougherty M. K. , Krupp N.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Recent magnetic field investigations made onboard the Cassini spacecraft in the magnetosphere of Saturn show the existence of a variety of ultra low frequency plasma waves. Their frequencies suggest that they are presumably not eigenoscillations of the entire magnetospheric system, but excitations confined to selected regions of the magnetosphere. While the main magnetic field of Saturn shows a distinct large scale modulation of approximately 2 nT with a periodicity close to Saturn's rotation period, these ULF pulsations are less obvious superimposed oscillations with an amplitude generally not larger than 3 nT and show a package-like structure. We have analyzed these wave packages and found that they are correlated to a certain extent with the large scale modulation of the main magnetic field. The spatial localization of the ULF wave activity is represented with respect to local time and Kronographic coordinates. For this purpose we introduce a method to correct the Kronographic longitude with respect to a rotation period different from its IAU definition. The observed wave packages occur in all magnetospheric regions independent of local time, elevation, or radial distance. Independent of the longitude correction applied the wave packages do not occur in an accentuated Kronographic longitude range, which implies that the waves are not excited or confined in the same selected longitude ranges at all times or that their lifetime leads to a variable phase with respect to the longitudes where they have been exited.
Concerning the occurrence pattern of flux transfer events on the dayside magnetopause
Authors: Sibeck D. G.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We present an analytical model for the magnetic field perturbations associated with flux transfer events (FTEs) on the dayside magnetopause as a function of the shear between the magnetosheath and magnetospheric magnetic fields and the ratio of their strengths. We assume that the events are produced by component reconnection along subsolar reconnection lines with tilts that depend upon the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and show that the amplitudes of the perturbations generated during southward IMF greatly exceed those during northward IMF. As a result, even if the distributions of magnetic reconnection burst durations/event dimensions are identical during periods of northward and southward IMF orientation, events occurring for southward IMF orientations must predominate in surveys of dayside events. Two factors may restore the balance between events occurring for northward and southward IMF orientations on the flanks of the magnetosphere. Events generated on the dayside magnetopause during periods of southward IMF move poleward, while those generated during periods of northward IMF slip dawnward or duskward towards the flanks. Due to differing event and magnetospheric magnetic field orientations, events that produce weak signatures on the dayside magnetopause during intervals of northward IMF orientation may produce strong signatures on the flanks.
Collisionless magnetic reconnection: analytical model and PIC simulation comparison
Authors: Semenov V. , Korovinskiy D. , Divin A. , Erkaev N. , Biernat H.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Magnetic reconnection is believed to be responsible for various explosive processes in the space plasma including magnetospheric substorms. The Hall effect is proved to play a key role in the reconnection process. An analytical model of steady-state magnetic reconnection in a collisionless incompressible plasma is developed using the electron Hall MHD approximation. It is shown that the initial complicated system of equations may split into a system of independent equations, and the solution of the problem is based on the Grad-Shafranov equation for the magnetic potential. The results of the analytical study are further compared with a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of reconnection. It is shown that both methods demonstrate a close agreement in the electron current and the magnetic and electric field structures obtained. The spatial scales of the acceleration region in the simulation and the analytical study are of the same order. Such features like particles trajectories and the in-plane electric field structure appear essentially similar in both models.
Remote sensing of local structure of the quasi-perpendicular Earth's bow shock by using field-aligned beams
Authors: Miao B. , Kucharek H. , Möbius E. , Mouikis C. , Matsui H. , Liu Y. C.-M. , Lucek E. A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Field-aligned ion beams (FABs) originate at the quasi-perpendicular Earth's bow shock and constitute an important ion population in the foreshock region. The bulk velocity of these FABs depends significantly on the shock normal angle, which is the angle between shock normal and upstream interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). This dependency may therefore be taken as an indicator of the local structure of the shock. Applying the direct reflection model to Cluster measurements, we have developed a method that uses proton FABs in the foreshock region for remote sensing of the local shock structure. The comparison of the model results with the multi-spacecraft observations of FAB events shows very good agreement in terms of wave amplitude and frequency of surface waves at the shock front.
The noctilucent cloud (NLC) display during the ECOMA/MASS sounding rocket flights on 3 August 2007: morphology on global to local scales
Authors: Baumgarten G. , Fiedler J. , Fricke K. H. , Gerding M. , Hervig M. , Hoffmann P. , Müller N. , Pautet P.-D. , Rapp M. , Robert C. , Rusch D. , von Savigny C. , Singer W.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. During the ECOMA/MASS rocket campaign large scale NLC/PMC was observed by satellite, lidar and camera from polar to mid latitudes. We examine the observations from different instruments to investigate the morphology of the cloud. Satellite observations show a planetary wave 2 structure. Lidar observations from Kühlungsborn (54° N), Esrange (68° N) and ALOMAR (69° N) show a highly dynamic NLC layer. Under favorable solar illumination the cloud is also observable by ground-based cameras. The cloud was detected by cameras from Trondheim (63° N), Juliusruh (55° N) and Kühlungsborn. We investigate planetary scale morphology and local scale gravity wave structures, important for the interpretation of the small scale rocket soundings. We compare in detail the lidar observations with the NLC structure observed by the camera in Trondheim. The ALOMAR RMR-lidar observed only a faint NLC during the ECOMA launch window, while the camera in Trondheim showed a strong NLC display in the direction of ALOMAR. Using the high resolution camera observations (t~30 s, Δx<5 km) and the wind information from the meteor radar at ALOMAR we investigate the formation and destruction of NLC structures. We observe that the NLC brightness is reduced by a factor of 20–40 within 100 s which can be caused by a temperature about 15 K above the frostpoint temperature. A horizontal temperature gradient of more than 3 K/km is estimated.
Temperature decrease in the extratropics of South America in response to a tropical forcing during the austral winter
Authors: Müller G. V.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. This paper focuses on the dynamic mechanisms that create favorable conditions for the occurrence of frosts that affect large areas of Argentina and are denominated generalized frosts (GF). The hemispheric teleconnection patterns linked to extreme cold events affecting central and northeastern Argentina during winter are identified. The objective is to determine whether the conditions found in previous studies for the composite of winters with extreme (maximum and minimum) frequency of GF occurrence respond to typical characteristics of the austral winter or they are inherent to those particular winters. Taking the mean winter as basic state in the 1961–1990 period, a series of numerical experiments are run using a primitive equation model in which waves are excited with a thermal forcing. The positions of the thermal forcing are chosen according to observed convection anomalies in a basic state given by the austral winters with extreme frequency of GF occurrence. The wave trains excited by anomalous convection situated in specific regions may propagate across the Pacific Ocean and reach South America with the appropriate phase, creating the local favorable conditions for the occurrence of GF. However, the anomalous convection is, by itself, not sufficient since the response also depends on the basic state configuration. This is proved by placing the forcing over the region of significant anomalous convection for maximum and minimum frequency of GF occurrence and the response was very different in comparison to the mean winter. It is concluded that the conditions for a greater GF frequency of occurrence are inherent to these particular winters, so that such conditions are not present in the average winter.
Average auroral configuration parameterized by geomagnetic activity and solar wind conditions
Authors: Milan S. E. , Evans T. A. , Hubert B.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Average proton and electron auroral images are compiled from three years of observations by the IMAGE spacecraft, binned according to concurrent KP and upstream solar wind conditions measured by the ACE spacecraft. The solar wind parameters include solar wind velocity, density, and pressure, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) magnitude and orientation, and an estimate of the magnetopause reconnection rate. We use both (a) the overall variation in brightness in the images and (b) the variation in location of the aurorae with respect to the binning parameters to determine which parameters best order the auroral response. We find that the brightness varies by a factor of ~50 with KP, a similar amount with estimated dayside reconnection voltage, ~15 with the IMF, ~3 with solar wind density, ~2 with solar wind velocity, and ~5 with pressure. Clearly, geomagnetic activity as measured by KP and auroral dynamics are closely associated. In terms of the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling that drives auroral dynamics, the IMF is of paramount importance in modulating this, with solar wind speed and density playing a lesser role. Dayside reconnection voltage, derived from the solar wind velocity and IMF magnitude and orientation, orders the data almost as well as KP, though we find a plateau in the auroral response between voltages of 100 and 150 kV. We also discuss changes in configuration and overall size of the average auroral oval with upstream conditions.
Polar cap convection/precipitation states during Earth passage of two ICMEs at solar minimum
Authors: Sandholt P. E. , Andalsvik Y. , Farrugia C. J.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We report important new aspects of polar cap convection and precipitation (dawn-dusk and inter-hemisphere asymmetries) associated with the different levels of forcing of the magnetosphere by two interplanetary (IP) magnetic clouds on 20 November 2007 and 17 December 2008 during solar minimum. Focus is placed on two intervals of southward magnetic cloud field with large negative By components (Bx=−5 versus 0 nT) and with high and low plasma densities, respectively, as detected by spacecraft Wind. The convection/precipitation states are documented by DMSP spacecraft (Southern Hemisphere) and SuperDARN radars (Northern Hemisphere). The (negative) By component of the cloud field is accompanied by a newly-discovered flow channel (called here FC 2) threaded by old open field lines (in polar rain precipitation) at the dusk and dawn sides of the polar cap in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively, and a corresponding Svalgaard-Mansurov (S-M) effect in ground magnetic deflections. On 20 November 2007 the latter S-M effect in the Northern winter Hemisphere appears in the form of a sequence of six 5–10 min long magnetic deflection events in the 71–74° MLAT/14:30–16:00 MLT sector. The X-deflections are consistent with the flow direction in FC 2 (i.e. caused by Hall currents) in both IP cloud cases. The presence of a lobe cell and associated polar arcs in the Southern (summer) Hemisphere in the low density (1–2 cm−3) and Bx=0 ICME case is accompanied by the dropout of polar rain precipitation in the dusk-side regime of sunward polar cap convection and inward-directed Birkeland current. The low-altitude observations are discussed in terms of momentum transfer via dynamo processes in the high- and low-latitude boundary layers and Birkeland currents located poleward of the traditional R1-R2 system.