February 11, 2011, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

February 11, 2011, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

ENA data analysis from TWINS and IMAGE with CRCM

Dr. Natalia Buzulukova (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Maryland)

We analyze energetic neutral atom (ENA) data acquired by the dual-spacecraft Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) stereo imaging mission, for several geomagnetic storms during recent solar minimum in 2008-2010. Additionally we show IMAGE/HENA data for strong storm near solar maximum in 2000. In the Earth's magnetosphere, ENAs are formed mainly as a result of charge-exchange process between ring current plasma and geocorona. For comparison with TWINS and IMAGE data, 3D particle fluxes and synthetic ENA images are computed using the Comprehensive Ring Current Model (CRCM). ENA emissions reflect particle injection, formation of asymmetric ring current and the subsequent symmetrization. By comparing real images with synthetic ones we infer global ring current dynamics and investigate the physical processes that control the ring current variability during geomagnetic storms.