• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2015

Earth's magnetopause separating the fast and often turbulent magnetosheath and the relatively stagnant magnetosphere provides various forms of free energy that generate low-frequency surface waves. The source mechanism of this energy includes current-driven kinetic physical processes such as magnetic reconnection on the dayside magnetopause and flux transfer events drifting along the magnetopause, and velocity shear-driven (Kelvin-Helmholtz instability) or density/pressure gradient-driven (Rayleigh-Taylor instability) magnetohydro-dynamics (MHD) instabilities. The solar wind external perturbations (impulsive transient pressure pulses or quasi-periodic dynamic pressure variations) act as seed fluctuations for the magnetopause waves and trigger ULF pulsations inside the magnetosphere via global modes or mode conversion at the magnetopause. The magnetopause waves thus play an important role in the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling, which is the key to space weather. This paper presents recent findings regarding the generation of surface waves (e.g., Kelvin-Helmholtz waves) at the Earth's magnetopause and analytic and observational studies accountable for the linking of the magnetopause waves and inner magnetospheric ULF pulsations, and the impacts of magnetopause waves on the dynamics of the magnetopause and on the inner magnetosphere.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2008

It has been known that high-speed solar wind streams associated with coronal holes lead to quasi-periodic substorms that occur approximately every $2{\sim}4$ hours. In this paper we examined 222 repetitive substorms that occurred during high-speed stream periods in July through December in 2003 to quantitatively determine a range of energy input from the solar wind into the magnetosphere between two consecutive substorms. For this study, we have used the Akasofu ${\varepsilon}$-parameter to time-integrate it for the interval between two consecutive substorms, and have applied this method to the 222 substorms. We find that the average amount of solar wind input energy between two adjacent substorms is $1.28{\times}10^{14}J$ and about 85% out of the 222 substorms occur after an energy input of $2{\times}10^{13}{\sim}2.3{\times}10^{14}J$. Based on these results, we suggest that it is not practical to predict when a sub storm will occur after a previous one occurs purely based on the solar wind-magnetosphere energy coupling. We provide discussion on several possible factors that may affect determining substorm onset times during high-speed streams.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.94.1-94.1
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• 2013

Whistler mode chorus waves, which are observed outside the plasmasphere of the Earth's magnetosphere, play a major role in accelerating and scattering energetic electrons in the radiation belts. In this study we developed a predicting scheme of the global distribution of chorus by using the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellite data. First, we determined global spatial distributions of chorus activity, and identified fit functions that best represent chorus intensities in specific L-MLT zones. Second, we determined the specific dependence of average chorus intensity on preceding solar wind conditions (e.g., solar wind speed, IMF Bz, energy coupling degree) as well as preceding geomagnetic states (as represented by AE, for example). Finally, we combined these two results to develop the predicting functions for the global distribution and intensity of chorus. Implementing these results in the radiation belt models should improve the local acceleration effect by chorus waves.

• Information and Communications Magazine
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.97-106
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• 1998

It is crucial to predict the variabilities of the near-earth space environment associated with the solar activity, which cause enormous socio-economic impacts on mankind. The geomagnetic storm prediction scheme adopted in this study is designed to predict such variabilities in terms of the geomagnetic indices, AE and Dst, the cross-polar cap potential difference, the energy dissipation rate over the polar ionosphere and associated temperature increase in the thermosphere. The prediction code consists of two parts; prediction of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field based upon actual flare observations and estimation of various electrodynamic quantities mentioned above from the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling function 'epsilon' which is derivable through the predicted solar wind parameters. As a test run, the magnetic storm that occurred in early November, 1993, is simulated and the results are compared with the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field measured by the Japanese satellite, Geotail, and the geomagnetic indices obtained from ground magnetic observatories. Although numerous aspects of the code are to be further improved, the comparison between the simulated results and the actual measurements encourages us to use this prediction scheme as the first appoximation in forecasting the disturbances of the near-earth space environment associated with solar flares.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.70-70
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• 2004

Lower thermospheric winds are forced primarily by non-uniform solar heating, atmospheric tides and other waves coming from below, and energy and momentum forcing associated with high-latitude magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, particularly ion drag and Joule heating. To understand the physical processes that control the thermospheric dynamics, we quantify the momentum forces that are mainly responsible for maintaining the high-latitude lower thermospheric wind system and examine the resulting momentum balance with the aid of the Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR-TIEGCM) developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. (omitted)