HR: 15:25h
AN: SM13C-07    [Abstracts]
TI: Ionospheric Convection Response to High-Latitude Reconnection: Cluster and SuperDARN Observations
AU: * Eriksson, S
EM: eriksson@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, 1234 Innovation Drive, Boulder, CO 80303 United States
AU: Gosling, J T
EM: jack.gosling@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, 1234 Innovation Drive, Boulder, CO 80303 United States
AU: Lester, M
EM: mle@ion.le.ac.uk
AF: Department of Physics and Astronomy, RSPPG, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH United Kingdom
AU: Mouikis, C
EM: cmouikis@atlas.sr.unh.edu
AF: Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Morse Hall, 39 College Rd, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AU: Dunlop, M W
EM: M.W.Dunlop@rl.ac.uk
AF: Space Sciences Division, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, Chilton, OX11 0QX United Kingdom
AU: Kuznetsova, M M
EM: masha@elbrus.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Laboratory for Solar and Space Physics, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Ergun, R E
EM: ree@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, 1234 Innovation Drive, Boulder, CO 80303 United States
AU: Balogh, A
EM: a.balogh@ic.ac.uk
AF: The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BZ United Kingdom
AU: Reme, H
EM: henri.reme@cesr.fr
AF: Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, BP4346, Toulouse, 31028 France
AB: High-latitude reconnection tailward of the cusps is predicted to occur during northward IMF. Northward IMF conditions are also regarded favorable in generating convection patterns that deviate from the classical 2-cell system in the polar cap ionosphere. We here present evidence in favor of this scenario on the basis of Cluster and SuperDARN joint observations on 14 February 2003 when Cluster traversed the high-latitude region of the northern cusp into the magnetosheath. The IMF measured by Cluster in the magnetosheath is Bx<0, By>0, Bz>0 and By>Bz. As predicted during positive IMF By and Bz, the SuperDARN radars observe enhanced sunward and dawnward convective flow across the noon meridian at the Cluster footprint. The enhanced ion velocity observed simultaneously at Cluster is also directed sunward and dawnward with a dominant convective component in the dawnward direction. The ion velocity at Cluster satisfies the shear-stress balance test and suggests a lobe reconnection site tailward and duskward of Cluster in agreement with the results of an MHD simulation performed during this event.
DE: 2431 Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions (2736)
DE: 2463 Plasma convection (2760)
DE: 2706 Cusp
DE: 2723 Magnetic reconnection (7526, 7835)
DE: 2724 Magnetopause and boundary layers
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005