High-latitude ionospheric convection parameterized by the IMF strength and direction:
A view from the ground and from satellites

Volodya Papitashvili
SPRL, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The ionospheric convection derived from ground magnetometers as well as ion drifts measured by five DMSP satellites in 1993-1996 are described and discussed. A linear regression analysis is utilized in correlating the IMF components and ground-based geomagnetic field variations or DMSP potentials. Then the new models of high-latitude ionospheric convection fully parameterized by the IMF strength and direction is constructed. Obtained responses of the cross-polar ionospheric potentials on changing IMF in this new model amount to 11 kV/nT for Bz<0, 6 kV/nT for Bz>0, and 6 kV/nT for By; the background(IMF ~ 0) cross-polar potential reaches ~30 kV. Therefore, combining these major structural elements, we can reproduce the high-latitude ionospheric convection patterns for any given IMF conditions.

The models are available at the SPRL Web site http://www.sprl.umich.edu/MIST