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In support of a multiagency project for assessing induction hazards, we present maps of extreme-value geoelectric amplitudes over about half of the continental United States. These maps are constructed using a parameterization of induction: estimates of Earth surface impedance, obtained at discrete geographic sites from magnetotelluric survey data, are convolved with latitude-dependent statistical maps of extreme-value geomagnetic activity, obtained from decades of magnetic observatory data. Geoelectric amplitudes are estimated for geomagnetic waveforms having 240 s sinusoidal period and amplitudes over 10 min that exceed a once-per-century threshold. As a result of the combination of geographic differences in geomagnetic activity and Earth surface impedance, once-per-century geoelectric amplitudes span more than 2 orders of magnitude and are an intricate function of location. For north-south induction, once-per-century geoelectric amplitudes across large parts of the United States have a median value of 0.26 Vkm; for east-west geomagnetic variation the median value is 0.23 Vkm. At some locations,once-per-century geoelectric amplitudes exceed 3 Vkm.

On 21 January 2005, a moderate magnetic storm produced a number of anomalous features, some seen more typically during superstorms. The aim of this study is to establish the differences in the space environment from what we expect (and normally observe) for a storm of this intensity, which make it behave in some ways like a superstorm. The storm was driven by one of the fastest interplanetary coronal mass ejections in solar cycle 23, containing a piece of the dense erupting solar filament material. The momentum of the massive solar filament caused it to push its way through the flux rope as the interplanetary coronal mass ejection decelerated moving toward 1 AU creating the appearance of an eroded flux rope (see companion paper by Manchester et al. (2014)) and, in this case, limiting the intensity of the resulting geomagnetic storm. On impact, the solar filament further disrupted the partial ring current shielding in existence at the time, creating a brief superfountain in the equatorial ionosphere—an unusual occurrence for a moderate storm. Within 1 h after impact, a cold dense plasma sheet (CDPS) formed out of the filament material. As the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) rotated from obliquely to more purely northward, the magnetotail transformed from an open to a closed configuration and the CDPS evolved from warmer to cooler temperatures. Plasma sheet densities reached tens per cubic centimeter along the flanks—high enough to inflate the magnetotail in the simulation under northward IMF conditions despite the cool temperatures. Observational evidence for this stretching was provided by a corresponding expansion and intensification of both the auroral oval and ring current precipitation zones linked to magnetotail stretching by field line curvature scattering. Strong Joule heating in the cusps, a by-product of the CDPS formation process, contributed to an equatorward neutral wind surge that reached low latitudes within 1–2 h and intensified the equatorial ionization anomaly. Understanding the geospace consequences of extremes in density and pressure is important because some of the largest and most damaging space weather events ever observed contained similar intervals of dense solar material.

We examine a three-dimensional (3-D) numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation describing a very fast interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) propagating from the solar corona to 1 AU. In conjunction with its high speed, the ICME evolves in ways that give it a unique appearance at 1 AU that does not resemble a typical ICME. First, as the ICME decelerates far from the Sun in the solar wind, filament material at the back of the flux rope pushes its way forward through the flux rope. Second, diverging nonradial flows in front of the filament transport poloidal flux of the rope to the sides of the ICME. Third, the magnetic flux rope reconnects with the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). As a consequence of these processes, the flux rope partially unravels and appears to evolve to an entirely unbalanced configuration. At the same time, filament material at the base of the flux rope moves forward and comes in direct contact with the shocked plasma in the CME sheath. We find evidence that such remarkable behavior has actually occurred when we examine a very fast CME that erupted from the Sun on 2005 January 20. In situ observations of this event near 1 AU show very dense cold material impacting the Earth following immediately behind the CME sheath. Charge state analysis shows this dense plasma is filament material. Consistent with the simulation, we find the poloidal flux (Bz) to be entirely unbalanced, giving the appearance that the flux rope has eroded. The dense solar filament material and unbalanced positive IMF Bz produced a number of anomalous features in a moderate magnetic storm already underway, which are described in a companion paper by Kozyra et al. (2014).

The cross-field current systems within a global, coupled geospace simulation of the January 6, 2011 high-speed stream-driven interval are analyzed to understand the flow and partitioning of energy within the magnetosphere. Even though this is a small storm with a minimum Dst of −41 nT, it is shown that the time-dependence of current system locations is very similar to that from a much larger storm (minimum Dst of −230 nT) driven by an interplanetary coronal mass ejection. That is, during the early part of the main phase, the tail current inner edge moves Earthward inside of geosynchronous orbit, but then retreats during the later part of the main phase, and by the peak of the storm interval, the ring/tail boundary is beyond L=10 in the nightside magnetosphere. It is also seen that a banana current (the part of the partial ring current that does not close through the ionosphere but rather with itself by flowing around the pressure peak entirely on the nightside) accounts for nearly all of the eastward current and the innermost portion of the westward current in the equatorial plane throughout the storm main phase interval.

A new scenario is presented for the cause of magnetospheric relativistic electron decreases (REDs) and potential effects in the atmosphere and on climate. High density solar wind heliospheric plasmasheet (HPS) events impinge onto the magnetosphere, compressing it along with remnant noon-sector outer-zone magnetospheric ~10-100 keV protons. The betatron accelerated protons generate coherent EMIC waves through a temperature anisotropy (T┴/T|| > 1) instability. The waves in turn interact with relativistic electrons and cause the rapid loss of these particles to a small region of the atmosphere. A peak total energy deposition of ~3 x 1020 ergs is derived for the precipitating electrons. Maximum energy deposition and creation of electron-ion pairs at 30-50 km and at

International audience; Energy-banded ions from tens to ten thousands of eV are observed in the low-latitude auroral and subauroral zones during every large (minimum Dst < -150 nT) geomagnetic storm encountered by the FAST satellite. The banded ions persist for many FAST orbits, lasting up to 12 h, in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The energy-banded ions often have more than six distinct bands, and the O+, He+, and H+ bands are often observed at the same energies. The bands are extensive in latitude (~50-75° on the dayside, often extending to 45°) and magnetic local time, covering all magnetic local time over the data set of storms. The distributions are peaked in the perpendicular direction at the altitudes of the FAST satellite (~350-4175 km), although in some cases the precipitating component dominates for the lowest energy bands. At the same time, for some of the events studied in detail, long-lasting intervals of field-aligned energy dispersed ions from ~100 eV to 40 keV are seen in Los Alamos National Laboratory geosynchronous observations, primarily on the dayside and after magnetosheath encounters (i.e., highly compressed magnetosphere). We present both case and statistical studies of the banded ions. These bands are a new phenomenon associated with all large storms, which are distinctly different from other banded populations, and are not readily interpreted using previous models for particle sources, transport, and loss. The energy-banded ions are an energetically important component of the inner magnetosphere during the most intense magnetic storms.

The seven CAWSES interplanetary fast forward shocks and their geomagnetic effects during 2004–2005 have been analyzed. It is found that the arrival time of the shocks at Earth can be estimated within an accuracy of ∼5 min. Furthermore, AL decreases are found to occur within 10 min of shock impingement on the magnetopause. It was also determined that there is a direct correlation between the interplanetary magnetic field southward directed (IMF B s ) prior to shock arrival and substorms triggered by the shocks. If the IMF is northward prior to shock arrival, the geomagnetic activity is present but is low. One interpretation of this result is that the preconditioning energy stored in the magnetotail leaks away rapidly. A correlation between substorm peak AL and shock strength (Mach number) has also been noted, which could imply that shock strength is important for the amount of energy released into the magnetosphere/ionosphere.

We study the interplanetary features and concomitant geomagnetic activity of the two high-speed streams (HSSs) selected by the Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) campaign participants: 20 March to 16 April 2008 in Carrington rotation (CR) 2068. This interval was chosen to perform a comprehensive study of HSSs and their geoeffectiveness during this “deep” solar minimum. The two HSSs within the interval were characterized by fast solar-wind speeds (peak values > 600 km s−1) containing large-amplitude Alfvenic fluctuations, as is typical of HSSs during normal solar minima. However, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) magnitude [B o] was exceptionally low (≈3 – 5 nT) during these HSSs, leading to lower than usual IMF B z values. The first HSS (HSS1) had favorable IMF polarity for geomagnetic activity (negative during northern Spring). The average AE and Dst for the HSS1 proper (HSS1P) were + 258 nT and − 21 nT, respectively. The second HSS (HSS2) had a positive sector IMF polarity, one that is less favorable for geomagnetic activity. The AE and Dst index averages were + 188 nT and − 7 nT, both lower than corresponding numbers for the first event, as expected. The HSS1P geomagnetic activity is comparable to, and the HSS2P geomagnetic activity lower than, corresponding observations for the previous minimum (1996). Both events’ geomagnetic activities are lower than HSS events previously studied in the declining phase (in 2003). In general, V sw was faster for the HSSs in 2008 compared to 1996. The southward IMF B z was lower in the former. The product of these two parameters [V sw and IMF B z ] comprises the solar-wind electric field, which is most directly associated with the energy input into the magnetosphere during the HSS intervals. Thus the combined effects led to the solar wind energy input in 2008 being slightly less than that in 1996. A detailed analysis of magnetic-field variances and Alfvenicity is performed to explore the characteristics of Alfven waves (a central element in the geoeffectiveness of HSSs) during the WHI. The B z variances in the proto-CIR (PCIR) were ≈ 30 nT2 and

This study investigates the role of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B z fluctuations periodicity in the transfer of solar wind mass and energy to the magnetosphere during the co-rotating interaction region/high-speed stream event of 10 November 2003 through global modelling simulations using the space weather modelling framework. To do so, we used both solar wind observations and a variety of idealized inputs as upstream boundary conditions, describing different solar wind configurations for which relative contribution of the peak-to-noise ratio in the input B z power spectrum to the periodicity transfer is examined. Fast Fourier transforms of both input to and the response of the magnetosphere reveal that the transfer of IMF B z periodicity to the magnetosphere is unaltered by other solar wind parameters, although the size of the peak-to-noise ratio of the input signal is the controlling factor that determines this transfer. The global magnetosphere simulation suggests that a threshold amount of power (peak-to-noise ratio) of approximately 10 in the input signal is needed for the magnetosphere to react to the periodicity in the input B z , while for the cross-polar cap potential, the threshold amount is significantly smaller.

We report derivations of short-term periodic features observed in time series of the radiative cooling of the Earth’s thermosphere. In particular, we diagnose observations of the infrared emission from nitric oxide (NO) at 5.3 μm to reveal periodicities equal to the solar rotation period (27 days) and its next three harmonics. From 2002 to 2009 we observe 27 day, 13.5 day, 9 day and (occasionally) 6.75 day periods in the thermospheric NO cooling, the solar wind speed and the K p geomagnetic index. Periodic features shorter than 27 days are absent in the time series of the 10.7 cm radio flux (F10.7) over this same time period. The periodic features in the NO cooling are found to occur throughout the depth of the thermosphere and are strongest at high latitudes. These results confirm the persistent coupling between the solar corona, the solar wind and the energy budget of the thermosphere.

Ninety intense magnetic storms (minimum Dst value of less than −100 nT) from solar cycle 23 (1996–2005) were simulated using the hot electron and ion drift integrator (HEIDI) model. All 90 storm intervals were run with several electric fields and nightside plasma boundary conditions (five run sets). Storms were classified according to their solar wind driver, including corotating interaction regions (CIRs) and interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). Data-model comparisons were made against the observed Dst index (specifically, Dst*) and dayside hot-ion measurements from geosynchronous orbiting spacecraft. It is found that the data-model goodness-of-fit values are different for CIR-driven storms relative to ICME-driven storms. The results are also different for the same storm category for different boundary conditions. None of the CIR-driven events was overpredicted by HEIDI, while the dayside comparisons were comparable for the different drivers. The results imply that the outer magnetosphere is responding differently to the two kinds of solar wind drivers, even though the resulting storm size might be similar. That is, for ICME-driven events, magnetospheric currents inside of geosynchronous orbit dominate the Dst perturbation, while for CIR-driven events, currents outside of this boundary have a systematically larger contribution.

In November 2004, a major magnetic storm occurred, a lengthy portion of which was recorded by the Upper Atmospheric Radar Chain. On the 9th and 10th, the Jicamarca Radar detected the highest magnitude penetrating electric fields (±3 mV/m) and vertical drifts (±120 m/s) ever seen at this premiere facility. These large and variable drifts were highly correlated with the interplanetary magnetic and electric fields and created a double F layer on the dayside and unusual TEC behavior throughout the low-latitude zone. These solar wind-induced drifts both suppressed and generated irregularities at the magnetic equator at different times. Large-scale thermospheric disturbances were generated by high-latitude heating and tracked through the middle- to low-latitude zones where both parallel and perpendicular plasma drifts created major ionospheric changes. The auroral oval was located at a magnetic L shell of about three for many hours.

For the first time since 1992 when the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) ceased to operate, there is again a plasma instrument in orbit around Venus, namely the ASPERA-4 flown on Venus Express (inserted into an elliptical polar orbit about the planet on April 11, 2006). In this paper we report on measurements made by the ion and electron sensors of ASPERA-4 during their first five months of operation and, thereby, determine the locations of both the Venus bow shock (BS) and the ion composition boundary (ICB) under solar minimum conditions. In contrast to previous studies based on PVO data, we employ a 3-parameter fit to achieve a realistic shape for the BS. We use a different technique to fit the ICB because this latter boundary cannot be represented by a conic section. Additionally we investigate the dependence of the location of the BS on solar wind ram pressure (based on ASPERA-4 solar wind data) and solar EUV flux (using a proxy from Earth).

The Analyzer of Space Plasma and EneRgetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) on board Mars Express is designed to study the interaction between the solar wind and the atmosphere of Mars and to characterize the plasma and neutral gas environment in near-Mars space. Neutral Particle Detectors (NPD-1 and 2), which form part of the ASPERA-3 instrument suite, are Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) detectors which use the time-of-flight (ToF) technique to resolve the energy of detected particles. In the present study, we perform a statistical analysis of NPD ToF data collected between 14 March 2004 and 17 June 2004 when Mars Express was located at the dayside of Mars looking toward the planet. After pre-processing and removal of UV contamination, the ToF spectra were fitted with simple analytical functions so as to derive a set of parameters. The behavior of these parameters, as a function of spacecraft position and attitude, is compared with a model, which describes ENA generation by charge exchange between shocked solar wind protons and extended Martian exosphere. The observations and the model agree well, indicating that the recorded signals are charge-exchanged shocked solar wind.

The ASPERA-4 instrument on board the Venus Express spacecraft offers for the first time the possibility to directly measure the emission of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the vicinity of Venus. When the spacecraft is inside the Venus shadow a distinct signal of hydrogen ENAs usually is detected. It is observed as a narrow tailward stream, coming from the dayside exosphere around the Sun direction. The intensity of the signal reaches several 10 5 cm - 2 sr - 1 s - 1 , which is consistent with present theories of the plasma and neutral particle distributions around Venus.

In contrast to the polar aurora visible during geomagnetic storms, stable auroral red (SAR) arcs offer a sub-visual manifestation of direct magnetosphere-ionosphere (M-I) coupling at midlatitudes. The SAR arc emission at 6300 Å is driven by field-aligned magnetospheric energy transport from ring current/plasmapause locations into the ionosphere-thermosphere system. The first SAR arc was observed at the dawn of the space age (1956), and the typical brightness levels and occurrence patterns obtained from subsequent decades of observations appear to be consistent with the downward heat conduction theory, i.e., heated ambient F-layer electrons excite oxygen atoms to produce a spectrally pure emission. On very rare occasions, a SAR arc has been reported to be at brightness levels visible to the naked eye. Here we report on the first case of a very bright SAR arc (~13 kilo-Rayleighs) observed by four diagnostic systems that sampled various aspects of the sub-auroral domain near Millstone Hill, MA, on the night of 29 October 1991: an imaging spectrograph, an all-sky camera, an incoherent scatter radar (ISR), and a DMSP satellite. Simulations of emission using the ISR and DMSP data with the MSIS neutral atmosphere succeed in reproducing the brightness levels observed. This provides a robust confirmation of M-I coupling theory in its most extreme aeronomic form within the innermost magnetosphere (L~2) during a rare superstorm event. The unusually high brightness value appears to be due to the rare occurrence of the heating of dense ionospheric plasma just equatorward of the trough/plasmapause location, in contrast to the more typical heating of the less dense F-layer within the trough.

Both eScience and Informatics, their conceptual approaches, methods, and extant technical solutions, are still relatively new approaches in many science fields. Collectively, they intend to facilitate the electronic conduct of science (eScience) and the application of foundational principles drawn from experience in a number of fields of Informatics (e.g., helioinformatics, geoinformatics, and climateinformatics). The Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System II (CAWSES II) eScience and Informatics effort had the goal of promoting an international virtual institute and several virtual observatories in order to advance system-level science investigations aligned with the four CAWSES II Task Groups. This contribution elaborates on the key elements of eScience and Informatics applicable to CAWSES II as a virtual organization in the context of the current science-data landscape. We examine what was adopted for CAWSES II and highlight the successes and challenges of the effort. Based on the lessons learned from this effort and other international communities, we present opportunities going forward that are relevant to both smaller collaborations and successor large-scale programs (such as the Variability of the Sun and Its Terrestrial Impact (VarSITI)) that are being recognized more as networks of science facilitated by a variety of modern information technologies.

Atmospheric photoelectrons have been observed well above the ionosphere of Mars by the ASPERA-3 ELS instrument on Mars Express. To systematically interpret these observations, field lines from two global MHD simulations were analyzed for Connectivity to the dayside ionosphere (allowing photoelectron escape). It is found that there is a hollow cylinder behind the planet from 1–2 R M away from the Mars-Sun line that has a high probability of containing magnetic field lines with Connectivity to the dayside ionosphere. These results are in complete agreement with the ELS statistics. It is concluded that the high-altitude photoelectrons are the result of direct magnetic Connectivity to the dayside at the moment of the measurement, and no extra trapping or bouncing mechanisms are needed to explain the data.

The Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA) on-board the Mars Express spacecraft (MEX) measured penetrating solar wind plasma and escaping/accelerated ionospheric plasma at very low altitudes (250 km) in the dayside subsolar region. This implies a direct exposure of the martian topside atmosphere to solar wind plasma forcing leading to energization of ionospheric plasma. The ion and electron energization and the ion outflow from Mars is surprisingly similar to that over the magnetized Earth. Narrow "monoenergetic" cold ion beams, ion beams with broad energy distributions, sharply peaked electron energy spectra, and bidirectional streaming electrons are particle features also observed near Mars. Energized martian ionospheric ions (O+, O-2(+), CO2+, etc.) flow in essentially the same direction as the external sheath flow. This suggests 2 2 that the planetary ion energization couples directly to processes in the magnetosheath/solar wind. On the other hand, the beam-like distribution of the energized plasma implies more indirect energization processes like those near the Earth, i.e., energization in a magnetized environment by waves and/or parallel (to B) electric fields. The general conditions for martian plasma energization are, however, different from those in the Earth's magnetosphere. Mars has a weak intrinsic magnetic field and solar wind plasma may therefore penetrate deep into the dense ionospheric plasma. Local crustal magnetization, discovered by Acuna et al. [Acuna, M.J., Connerey, J., Ness, N., Lin, R., Mitchell, D., Carlsson, C., McFadden, J., Anderson, K., Reme, H., Mazelle, C., Vignes, D., Wasilewski, P., Cloutier, P., 1999. Science 284, 790-793], provide some dayside shielding against the solar wind. On the other hand, multiple magnetic anomalies may also lead to "hot spots" facilitating ionospheric plasma energization. We discuss the ASPERA-3 findings of martian ionospheric ion energization and present evidences for two types of plasma energization processes responsible for the low- and mid-altitude plasma energization near Mars: magnetic field-aligned acceleration by parallel electric fields and plasma energization by low frequency waves. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Neutral Particle Detector (NPD), an Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) sensor of the Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) on board Mars Express, detected intense fluxes of ENAs emitted from the subsolar region of Mars. The typical ENA fluxes are (4–7) × 10 5 cm −2 sr −1 s −1 in the energy range 0.3–3 keV. These ENAs are likely to be generated in the subsolar region of the martian exosphere. As the satellite moved away from Mars, the ENA flux decreased while the field of view of the NPD pointed toward the subsolar region. These decreases occurred very quickly with a time scale of a few tens of seconds in two thirds of the orbits. Such a behavior can be explained by the spacecraft crossing a spatially constrained ENA jet, i.e., a highly directional ENA emission from a compact region of the subsolar exosphere. This ENA jet is highly possible to be emitted conically from the subsolar region. Such directional ENAs can result from the anisotropic solar wind flow around the subsolar region, but this can not be explained in the frame of MHD models.

We have analysed ion escape at Mars by comparing ASPERA-3/Mars Express ion measurements and a 3-D quasi-neutral hybrid model. As Mars Express does not have a magnetometer onboard, the analysed IMA data are from an orbit when the IMF clock angle was possible to determine from the magnetic field measurements of Mars Global Surveyor. We found that fast escaping planetary ions were observed at the place which, according to the 3-D model, is anticipated to contain accelerated heavy ions originating from the martian ionosphere. The direction of the interplanetary magnetic field was found to affect noticeably which regions can be magnetically connected to Mars Express and to the overall 3-D Mars–solar wind interaction.

We present measurements with an Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) imager on board Mars Express when the spacecraft moves into Mars eclipse. Solar wind ions charge exchange with the extended Mars exosphere to produce ENAs that can spread into the eclipse of Mars due to the ions' thermal spread. Our measurements show a lingering signal from the Sun direction for several minutes as the spacecraft moves into the eclipse. However, our ENA imager is also sensitive to UV photons and we compare the measurements to ENA simulations and a simplified model of UV scattering in the exosphere. Simulations and further comparisons with an electron spectrometer sensitive to photoelectrons generated when UV photons interact with the spacecraft suggest that what we are seeing in Mars' eclipse are ENAs from upstream of the bow shock produced in charge exchange with solar wind ions with a non-zero temperature. The measurements are a precursor to a new technique called ENA sounding to measure solar wind and planetary exosphere properties in the future.

We have studied the interaction of fast solar wind hydrogen atoms with the martian atmosphere by a three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation. These energetic neutral hydrogen atoms, H-ENAs, are formed upstream of the martian bow shock. Both H-ENAs scattered and non-scattered from the martian atmosphere/exosphere were studied. The colliding H-ENAs were found to scatter both to the dayside and nightside. On the dayside they contribute to the so-called H-ENA albedo. On the nightside the heated and scattered hydrogen atoms were found also in the martian wake. The density, the energy distribution function and the direction of the velocity of H-ENAs on the nightside are presented. The present study describes a novel “ENA sounding” technique in which energetic neutral atoms are used to derive information of the properties of planetary exosphere and atmosphere in a similar manner as the solar wind photons are used to derive atmospheric densities by measuring the scattered UV light. A detailed study of the direction and energy of the scattered and non-scattered H-ENAs suggest that the ENA sounding is a method to study the interaction between the planetary atmosphere and the solar wind and to monitor the density, and likely also the magnetization, of the planetary upper atmosphere. Already present-day ENA instrument should be capable to detect the analyzed particle fluxes.

The neutral particle detector (NPD) on board Mars Express has observed energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from a broad region on the dayside of the martian upper atmosphere. We show one such example for which the observation was conducted at an altitude of 570 km, just above the induced magnetosphere boundary (IMB). The time of flight spectra of these ENAs show that they had energies of 0.2–2 keV/amu, with an average energy of ∼1.1 keV/amu. Both the spatial distribution and the energy of these ENAs are consistent with the backscattered ENAs, produced by an ENA albedo process. This is the first observation of backscattered ENAs from the martian upper atmosphere. The origin of these ENAs is considered to be the solar wind ENAs that are scattered back by collision processes in the martian upper atmosphere. The particle flux and energy flux of the backscattered ENAs are 0.9 – 1.3 × 10 7 cm −2 s −1 and ∼ 9.5 × 10 9 eV cm −2 s −1 , respectively.

Measurements of energetic neutral atoms (ENA) generated in the magnetosheath at Mars are reported. These ENAs are the result of charge exchange collisions between solar wind protons and neutral oxygen and hydrogen in the exosphere of Mars. The peak of the observed ENA flux is 1.3 × 10 11 m −2 sr −1 s −1 . For the case studied here, i.e., the passage of Mars Express through the martian magnetosheath around 20:15 UT on 3 May 2004, the measurements agree with an analytical model of the ENA production at the planet. It is possible to find parameter values in the model such that the observed peak in the ENA count rate during the spacecraft passage through the magnetosheath is reproduced.

The Electron Spectrometer (ELS) instrument of the ASPERA-3 package on the Mars Express satellite has recorded photoelectron energy spectra up to apoapsis (∼10,000 km altitude). The characteristic photoelectron shape of the spectrum is sometimes seen well above the ionosphere in the evening sector across a wide range of near-equatorial latitudes. Two numerical models are used to analyze the characteristics of these high-altitude photoelectrons. The first is a global, multi-species MHD code that produces a 3-D representation of the magnetic field and bulk plasma parameters around Mars. It is used here to examine the possibility of magnetic connectivity between the high-altitude flanks of the martian ionosheath and the subsolar ionosphere. It is shown that some field lines in this region are draped interplanetary magnetic lines while others are open field lines (connected to both the IMF and the crustal magnetic field sources). The second model is a kinetic electron transport model that calculates the electron velocity space distribution along a selected, non-uniform, magnetic field line. It is used here to simulate the high-altitude ELS measurements. It is shown that the photoelectrons are essentially confined to the source cone, as governed by magnetic field inhomogeneity along the field line. Reasonable agreement is shown between the data and the model results, and a method is demonstrated for inferring properties of the local and photoelectron source region magnetic field from the ELS measurements. Specifically, the number of sectors in which photoelectrons are measured is a function of the magnetic field intensity ratio and the field's angle with respect to the detector plane. In addition, the sector of the photoelectron flux peak is a function of the magnetic field azimuthal angle in the detector plane.

The ELectron Spectrometer (ELS) from the Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) flown on the Mars Express spacecraft has an 8% energy resolution, combined with the capability to oversample the martian electron distribution. This makes possible the resolution and identification of electrons generated as a result of the He 304 A ionization of CO 2 at the martian exobase on the dayside of the planet. Ionospheric photoelectrons were observed during almost every pass into the ionosphere and CO 2 photoelectron peaks were identified near the terminator. Atmospherically generated CO 2 photoelectrons are also observed at 10,000 km altitude in the martian tail near the inner magnetospheric boundary. Observations over a wide range of spacecraft orbits showed a consistent presence of photoelectrons at locations along the inner magnetospheric boundary and in the ionosphere, from an altitude of 250 to 10,000 km.

Mars Express (MEX) Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) data is providing insights into atmospheric loss on Mars via the solar wind interaction. This process is influenced by both the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) in the solar wind and by the magnetic ‘anomaly’ regions of the martian crust. We analyse observations from the ASPERA-3 Electron Spectrometer near to such crustal anomalies. We find that the electrons near remanent magnetic fields either increase in flux to form intensified signatures or significantly reduce in flux to form plasma voids. We suggest that cusps intervening neighbouring magnetic anomalies may provide a location for enhanced escape of planetary plasma. Initial statistical analysis shows that intensified signatures are mainly a dayside phenomenon whereas voids are a feature of the night hemisphere.

Using data of the ASPERA-3 instrument on board the European Mars Express spacecraft we investigate the effect of the martian crustal fields on electrons intruding from the magnetosheath. For the crustal field strength we use published data obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor MAG/ER instrument for a fixed altitude of 400 km. We use statistics on 13 months of 80–100 eV electron observations to show that the electron intrusion altitude determined by a probability measure is approximately linearly dependent on the total field strength at 400 km altitude. We show that on the dayside the mean electron intrusion altitude describes the location of the Magnetic Pile-Up Boundary (MPB) such that we can quantify the effect of the crustal fields on the MPB. On the nightside we quantify the shielding of precipitating electrons by the crustal fields.

It is shown that the stormtime ring current energy content, from kinetic simulations, has a lognormal distribution. This type of functional form naturally arises from the superposition of many processes with a common initiation event but with differing growth and decay timescales. For the ring current, such a situation occurs from the disparate timescales of energization and decay for the hot ions at various energies, pitch angles, and spatial locations. The summation of this plethora of small currents results in a single current system (the ring current, both partial and symmetric) that has a loss time scale that decreases and then increases during every storm. The consequence is that the stormtime Dst index, which also has a lognormal shape, can be (and in fact is) dominated by this single current system.

A new view of the ring current as an active element in the geospace system has emerged in which the ring current responds not only to changing convection electric fields imposed by solar wind interactions but to internal dynamics of the magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere (geospace) system. Variations in the plasma sheet density, temperature and composition, saturation of the polar cap potential drop (and presumably the cross-tail potential drop), modifications to the imposed convection potential in the inner magnetosphere due to ring current shielding effects, the presence of a pre-existing ring current population, storm-substorm coupling, and strong convection with and without accompanying substorm activity all have an impact on the ring current strength, formation and loss. All of these internal processes imply that the geoeffectiveness of a solar wind driver cannot be predicted on the basis of the characteristics of the driver alone but must reflect key aspects of the dynamically changing geospace environment, itself. This review gives a summary of new information on ring current input and decay processes focusing on implications for the global geospace response to solar wind drivers during magnetic storms and on open questions that can be addressed with new ENA imaging techniques.

The terrestrial ring current consists of energetic charged particles flowing toroidally around the Earth, and creating a ring of westward electric current, centered at the equatorial plane and extending from geocentric distances of about 3–8RE. Changes in this current are responsible for global decreases in the Earth's surface magnetic field, which is the defining feature of geomagnetic storms. The ring current is a critical element in understanding the onset and development of space weather disturbances in geospace. This review paper discusses recent developments in ring current research, and outlines the presently hottest issues, most of which were addressed at the Ring Current Symposium of the First S-RAMP Conference held in Sapporo, Japan, in October 2000.

Several two-phase decay magnetic storms are examined using a kinetic transport model to find the spatial and temporal distribution of the perpendicular and field-aligned currents in the inner magnetosphere. The global morphology of these currents in the calculational domain (inside of geosynchronous orbit) is discussed as a function of storm epoch, obtaining good comparison between the numerically derived features and observed values of stormtime currents in this region. The model results are also consistent with quiet time plasma observations showing an increasing pressure in to L = 3 or 4, including a pressure maximum near midnight for the generation of region 2 Birkeland currents in the proper direction. A detailed analysis of the characteristic features of these currents is also presented and discussed. It is found that most of the ring current (>90%) during the main phase and early recovery phase is partial rather than symmetric, closing mostly (up to 90%) through field-aligned currents into the ionosphere. Conversely, the quiet time ring current is largely (>60%) symmetric, with most of the asymmetry produced by minor injections of near-Earth plasma sheet material. In general, the peak asymmetric current (which occurs during the main phase) is 2-3 times larger than the peak symmetric current (which occurs during the recovery phase) for any particular two-phase decay event. This is the case for all of the events studied, regardless of storm size, solar wind parameters, or solar cycle. The maximum azimuthal current (integrated over a local time slice) reaches 5 to 20 MA, compared with

During the rise to the maximum phase of solar cycle 23, several periods of extreme solar wind conditions have occurred. During such an example on May 4, 1998, the solar wind monitors observed a period of strong southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) accompanied by a solar wind dynamic pressure that was 30 times higher than average. During this period the Polar spacecraft crossed the magnetopause and bow shock and experienced its first solar wind encounter. This case provides a rare opportunity to study the magnetopause, low-latitude boundary layer, magnetosheath, and bow shock and to test our ability to model the dynamic behavior of these boundary regions under extreme and highly variable solar wind conditions. In this study we use the gas dynamic convected field model to predict the time-dependent magnetic field and plasma properties upstream from the magnetopause and the location of the Polar spacecraft relative to the magnetopause and bow shock during the event. To test the accuracy of the prediction, model magnetic field characteristics are compared to the fields observed along the satellite track by the magnetometer on Polar. The predicted model plasma characteristics (density, velocity, and temperature) are compared to moments derived from TIDE observations, extrapolated to account for the higher energy portion of the magnetosheath distributions. Where ambiguities occur in identifying the satellite location, plasma distribution functions from two additional ion detectors (TIMAS and HYDRA) are used to resolve the observed location of Polar relative to the boundaries. With this procedure, carried out separately for ACE and Wind and for two different magnetopause models, observed features at Polar can be traced back to drivers in the solar wind, providing a unique opportunity to assess the evolution of the solar wind and its predictability from the solar wind monitors to the magnetopause. When the Polar apogee drifts to low latitudes in the future, it will provide more and more observations in this region. Therefore what we learn from this case can be indicative of what we will see in the future in Polar operations. The high-level correlation between the predictions and in situ measurements indicates that the solar wind monitors often provide adequate and useful solar wind conditions near the Earth. The tests indicate that in this event the vacuum dipole field magnetosphere model predicts a significantly larger magnetosphere than observed. While the empirical magnetopause model predictions are more consistent with the observations, they overpredict the response of the magnetosphere to transient southward turnings of the IMF, indicating that the magnetosphere does not respond to the southward IMF turnings on small timescales. Sometimes, there are significant differences at relatively small time scales between the measurements from the two solar wind monitors. It is possible for the solar wind conditions near the Earth to be different from the measurements made by at least one of the solar wind monitors. Cautions should be taken when interpreting near-Earth observations if the observations are inconsistent at small timescales with the predictions based on one solar wind monitor.

Three storms are examined to determine the contribution to the Dst* index from the symmetric and asymmetric (partial) components of the ring current. The storms (September 24–25, 1998, October 18–19, 1998, and May 14–15, 1997) all have a similar solar wind trigger (an initial shock followed by a coronal mass ejection with southward interplanetary magnetic field) and placement in the solar cycle (rising phase). The near-Earth ion distribution function is simulated for each storm using a kinetic transport model. The use of a McIlwain magnetospheric electric field description improves the simulation results over the Volland-Stern field used previously. It is found that most of the main phase magnetic field depression is due to the asymmetric component of the ring current (≥80% at the Dst* minimum for the three storms). Note that this is a minimum asymmetric ring current contribution, because the closed-trajectory ions may also be spatially asymmetric. Ions in the partial ring current make one pass through the inner magnetosphere on open drift paths that intersect the dayside magnetopause. Changes in the density of the inner plasma sheet are transmitted directly along these open drift paths. For a steady convection field, an increase in the source population produces a decrease (more intense perturbation) in Dst*, while a decrease produces a Dst* recovery. As the storm recovery proceeds, a decrease in the electric field results in a conversion of open to closed drift paths, forming a trapped, symmetric ring current that dominates Dst*. The mostly H+ composition of the ring current for all three storms rules out the possibility of differential charge exchange being the cause of the fast and slow decay timescales, confirming that outflow is the main loss of ring current-generated Dst* during the early phase decay. The slow decay timescale in the late recovery, however, is dominated by charge exchange with the hydrogen geocorona. The symmetric-asymmetric ring current is also placed in the context of the solar wind and plasma sheet drivers.

Global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations have shown that for southward interplanetary magnetic field nightside reconnection takes place only in a limited spatial scale in the cross-tail direction. Between the end of the nightside reconnection line and the flank magnetopause are regions of closed magnetic field lines which move relatively slowly tailward, compared with the magnetosheath flow on the far side and the jet flow produced by nightside reconnection on the side closer to the midnight. The magetosphere appears to have a pair of extended wings on the nightside. Further refinement of the simulations shows that the wings are not produced by the numerical effects. Similar features have been observed previously and also shown in different simulation models. The existence of the wings in the simulations indicates that the solar wind momentum is transferred to the closed magnetosphere if the simulations are relevant to reality.

To quantify the energy input to the thermal electrons due to Coulomb collisional degradation of hot ions in the inner magnetosphere, the heating rate is calculated from the results of a time-dependent kinetic ring current model. The large June 4–7, 1991, storm during the last solar maximum, when the hot O+ content is maximal, is chosen for this study. Modeled electron heat fluxes into the topside ionosphere reach 1011 eV cm−2 s−1 on the dusk side, a large value that will certainly have an impact on the density, temperature, and composition of the upper ionosphere and thermosphere. Comparable maximum values of heat inputs to the inner magnetospheric thermal plasma are expected to arise again during storms of the present solar maximum. The calculated heating rates from the ring current simulations are compared directly with detailed ionospheric modeling results for the Millstone Hill field line (L = 3). It is seen that heating from the ring current is more than adequate to account for the nightside topside heat input necessary to obtain the observed electron temperatures during this storm, even taking into account the limitations of the comparison. The reason for this is the abundance of O+ in the ring current at energies of a few tens of keV deep in the inner magnetosphere.

The subauroral heat input to the topside ionosphere from two superthermal electron sources, photoelectrons and plasma sheet electrons, are calculated using a global kinetic model of electron transport in the inner magnetosphere. Peak rates above 10 10 eV cm −2 s −1 are found for photoelectrons in the midlatitude afternoon region, while the peak deposition rate for plasma sheet electrons only occasionally approaches 10 9 eV cm −2 s −1 , and is typically confined to the morningside. Trapped clouds of plasma sheet electrons, however, are shown to have lasting effects on the structure of topside heat input, as the energetic electrons corotate and slowly transfer their energy to the thermal plasma over a course of days. These energy inputs are compared with other heat sources in the inner magnetosphere. It is concluded that, while other processes can inject large amounts of energy into the ionosphere in spatially and temporally localized regions, photoelectrons are the strongest and steadiest heat source into the topside ionosphere.

The global evolution of an artificially injected relativistic electron beam is simulated and examined. The study focuses on injections originating in the upper ionosphere, magnetically mirroring above the lower atmosphere where significant energy loss occurs, and so a long-lived population arises in the inner magnetosphere from this particle source. This investigation is conducted by solving the bounce-averaged relativistic kinetic equation for the electron distribution function for various L shells. It is found that the beam quickly spreads in MLT due to differential drift rates, eventually morphing into a fairly uniform shell around the Earth. Wave interactions are comparable to collisional losses in reducing the beam content. It is also found that the beam total particle loss rate is a complicated function of L and, for the chosen conditions, the total beam particle counts are 73%, 77%, and 52% of the initial count at t=24 hours after injection for L=2, 3, and 4, respectively. The loss rates at this time are ∼1%/hour (of the remaining beam strength) and very slowly decreasing with time. These loss rates and other features of the beam evolution are discussed in detail. There are now four distinct stages recognized in the evolution of an injected relativistic beam: (1) the immediate loss of particles injected at pitch angles mapping to the lower thermosphere; (2) the initial loss of particles injected right next to the loss cone by collisional scattering; (3) the continuation of this collisional loss along with the spread of the beant to all local times by differential drift rates; and (4) the transformation of the beam into a fairly uniform shell covering all energies and all local times, with the loss rate mainly governed by wave scattering. Other stages may exist beyond the 1-day limit set on these simulations. While the study dwells on beam dynamics, it is also a general examination of the leading edge population next to the loss cone. This has implications for the physics of the naturally occurring radiation belt particles, as this region of phase space regulates the actual precipitation of these particles into the atmosphere. The applicability of this model for studying the natural radiation environment around the Earth is also pondered.

A time-dependent kinetic model is used to investigate the relative importance of various mechanisms in the early phase decay rate of the ring current. It is found that, for both the solar maximum storm of June 4–7, 1991 and especially the solar minimum storm of September 24–27, 1998, convective drift loss out the dayside magnetopause is the dominant process in removing ring current particles during the initial recovery. During the 1998 storm, dayside outflow losses outpaced charge exchange losses by a factor of ten.

A new time-dependent kinetic model is used to investigate the effects of self-consistency and hot plasma influences on plasmaspheric refilling. The model employs a direct solution of the kinetic equation with a Fokker-Planck Coulomb collision operator to obtain the phase space distribution function of the thermal protons along a field line. Of particular interest is the influence of several processes on the source cone distribution function formation. It is found that a self-consistent ion temperature in the collision term can increase or decrease the equatorial plane density, depending not only on the choice of ion temperature in the static-background calculations but also on the form of the nonlinear representation. The inclusion of a self-consistent polarization electric field increases the early stage equatorial plane density by a factor of 2. Investigations of the effects of anisotropic hot plasma populations on the refilling rates shows that, after a slight initial decrease in equatorial density from clearing out the initial distribution, there is a 10 to 30% increase after 4 hours due to these populations. This increase is due primarily to a slowing of the refilling streams near the equator from the reversed electric field.

Relativistic electron beam injection simulation results are presented from a new interhemispheric transport model, with a spatial domain reaching from 90 km to 90 km in the conjugate ionospheres. A single beam pulse is injected upward at 700 km during the first time step (10 -4 s) and allowed to scatter and decay through collisional interactions with neu- tral particles and the core plasma. The maximum pulse dura- tion for collisional processes to prevail over the wave-beam instabilities is estimated, and the assumed pulse length is well within this limit. For an L=2 field line, the e-folding time of a 5 MeV beam is 265 s, which is much bigger than the bounce period (0.19 s) and comparable to drift period around the Earth.

The growth and recovery of the November 2–6, 1993 magnetic storm was simulated using a drift-loss ring current model that was driven by dynamic fluxes at geosynchronous orbit as an outer boundary condition. During the storm main phase, a high-density plasma sheet was observed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory geosynchronous satellites to move into and flow around the inner magnetosphere over a period of ∼12 hours [Borovsky et al., 1997; this issue] during the storm main phase. Densities at the leading edge of this structure reached 3 cm−3 as compared with more typical values

The possible role of precipitation losses in eroding stormtime ring current is subject to debate. To explore this controversy, the recovery phase of the February 6–10, 1986, great magnetic storm is examined, when intense ion precipitation was observed at midlatitudes by NOAA-6 and DMSP satellites. This storm period is particularly interesting because the ring current exhibits distinctive two-phase decay as seen in the Dst index, the early rapid timescale decay corresponding to the intense ion precipitation period described above. Hamilton et al. [1988] concluded, from close agreement between the observed timescale for ring current decay and the theoretical timescale for O+ charge exchange loss, that rapid early recovery phase of this storm resulted from the charge exchange loss of high energy O+; the second and longer decay phase was equated with H+ charge exchange loss. A model of the ring current evolution during this great magnetic storm [Fok et al., 1995] failed to reproduce the observed ring current decay rates, a puzzling result because charge exchange losses were well represented in the ring current model and initial and boundary conditions were taken from the same data set used in the Hamilton et al. [1988] study. A simple energy balance calculation for the global ring current is carried out using (1) either an energy input predicted from upstream solar wind parameters or one calculated from the drift-loss model output, (2) collisional loss timescales extracted from the drift-loss model, and (3) precipitation losses estimated from NOAA-6 and DMSP observations. The energy balance model replicates the evolution of the ring current energy content derived from Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/Charge Composition Explorer (AMPTE/CCE) observations when ion precipitation losses are included and model energy input function is reduced to agree with predictions based upon upstream solar wind parameters. The O+ charge exchange losses and observed global precipitation losses were of equal magnitude in early recovery of the ring current during this great magnetic storm. Later longer decay timescales in the model resulted from a combination of O+ and H+ charge exchange losses; O+ charge exchange losses remained important throughout the model time interval. The present model produces agreement with the AMPTE/CCE estimates of ring current kinetic energy content versus time. Disagreement between the Dst* inferred from the AMPTE/CCE particle measurements and the observed Dst* is an interesting issue needing further explanation.

Under the proper conditions, guided plasmaspheric hiss is shown to be more efficient than Coulomb collisions at scattering electrons in the superthermal energy range of 50 to 500 eV. Broadband, whistler mode hiss becomes guided by plasma density gradients, intensifying the wave energy densities and focusing the wave normal angles. These waves are shown to interact through Cherenkov (Landau) resonance with electrons below 500 eV, and the presented equatorial plane timescales for pitch angle, energy, and mixed diffusion are shown to be faster than Coulomb collision timescales for typical values at the inner edge of the plasmapause and in detached plasma regions. In the latter case, energy diffusion timescales of less than 100 s for small pitch angle electrons between 250 and 500 eV indicate that these waves have the potential to dramatically change the distribution function.

Our numerical model of the ring current-atmosphere coupling (RAM) is further developed in order to include wave-particle interaction processes. The model calculates the time evolution of the phase space distribution function in the region from 2 RE to 6.5 RE, considering losses due to charge exchange, Coulomb collisions, and plasma wave scattering along ion drift paths. The spatial regions of ion cyclotron wave instability are determined by calculating the convective growth rates for electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves, integrating them along wave paths, and selecting regions of maximum wave amplification. The source regions are located on the duskside in agreement with the predominant occurrence of EMIC waves. A spectral power density of 1 nT2/Hz is adopted within the unstable regions. According to quasi-linear theory, the fluctuating fields are regarded as imposed on the system, and the losses due to wave-particle interactions are described with diffusive processes. The effects of the presence of heavy ion components on the quasi-linear diffusion coefficients are also considered. Resonance with ion cyclotron waves reduce the anisotropy of the proton population and the unstable regions disappear with time. Global patterns of precipitating ion fluxes are obtained and compared with observations.

We test the hypothesis that a two-phase decay of the ring current energy content can be produced by the differential charge exchange loss rates of hot O + and hot H + . Results are presented from idealized simulations of ring current decay and show that, for realistic plasma boundary conditions, a two-phase decay can only be created by the transition from flow-out to charge exchange dominance of ring current loss. Differential charge exchange between hot (E > 40 keV) O + and hot H + cannot produce the observed two-phase decay signature for several reasons. First, there are always significant levels of low-energy (E < 10 keV) IT present in the injected plasma, which charge exchanges rapidly and makes the H + loss rate comparable to or greater than the O + loss rate. Second, the ring current is spread over a wide range of L values, and the total charge exchange loss rate is an integral value that does not suddenly change. Third, this integral loss rate is too slow (at least in the results presented here) to create a rapid loss of ring current energy content. Other possible causes of two-phase decay signatures in the storm-time Dst index are briefly discussed.

Ion composition measurements provided by recent satellite missions have confirmed the presence of heavy ions in the terrestrial magnetosphere. In order to describe the resonance of energetic ring current particles with electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in a more realistic terrestrial environment, general expressions are derived that provide quasi-linear diffusion coefficients in a cold plasma containing heavy ions. Cold plasma theory is used as a first approximation. In such plasma, EMIC waves do not propagate in the frequency range between the ion gyrofrequency and the cutoff frequency for each ion component but form multiple stop bands. No interactions occur within the stop bands and the diffusion coefficients are zero over the corresponding frequency intervals. For most of the wave frequencies of interest, the particles in a multicomponent plasma resonate at lower parallel energies than particles in an electron-proton plasma for a given harmonic value. Therefore resonance with a fixed frequency wave occurs at larger pitch angles (lower parallel energies) in a multi-ion than in a proton-electron plasma. As a direct consequence, pitch angle diffusion coefficients for a given energy decrease at small pitch angles and increase at large pitch angles as heavy ions are added to the plasma. The energy and mixed diffusion coefficients change correspondingly. Also, higher harmonics need to be included in the calculations for resonances at higher energies. The pitch angle diffusion lifetimes are calculated for given plasmaspheric and wave parameters corresponding to conditions at a radial distance L=4. The values of the diffusion lifetimes decrease at low energies and increase at high energies in a multi-ion as compared to an electron-proton plasma. As a result, the resonances at lower energies (∼ approximately tens of keV) will contribute to the ion precipitation losses from the ring current during geomagnetic storms.