HR: 1340h
AN: SM13B-1325    [Abstracts]
TI: Comparison of Simultaneously Measured Cross Polar Cap Potentials
AU: * Hairston, M R
EM: hairston@utdallas.edu
AF: Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas 800 West Campbell MS WT15, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
AU: Coley, W R
EM: coley@utdallas.edu
AF: Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas 800 West Campbell MS WT15, Richardson, TX 75080, United States
AB: One of the outstanding questions in polar ionospheric studies is whether the cross polar cap potentials in both hemispheres are identical or different. Theoretically the two should be the same, but there have been observational results from both satellites and ground-based radars than indicated that differences can occur sometimes. Unfortunately such results can not be proven definitively because of either lack of coverage (radars) or the observations were separated in time (satellites), thus the question remained unresolved. But since the November 2006 launch of DMSP-F17 there are now two DMSP spacecraft (F13 and F17) operating simultaneously in the dawn-dusk polar orbit orientation, the ideal orbit for measuring the cross polar cap potential. The two spacecraft cycle in and out of phase with each other over a period of about 60 days. The early results of a comparison between the polar cap potentials measured during the periods when the two satellites are simultaneously in opposite polar regions will be presented. Differences between the two measured potentials will be examined to determine if they are demonstrably real or not.
DE: 2475 Polar cap ionosphere
DE: 2712 Electric fields (2411)
DE: 2736 Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions (2431)
DE: 2760 Plasma convection (2463)
DE: 2784 Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting