Polar cap patch transportation beyond the classic scenario

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qing-He, Moen, Joran, Lockwood, Michael, McCrea, Ian, Zhang, Bei-Chen, McWilliams, Kathryn A., Zong, Qiu-Gang, Zhang, Shun-Rong, Ruohoniemi, J. Michael, Thomas, Evan G., Dunlop, Malcolm W., Liu, Rui-Yuan, Yang, Hui-Gen, Hu, Hong-Qiao, Lester, Mark
• Other Authors: Zhang, QH (reprint author), Shandong Univ, Inst Space Sci, Shandong Prov Key Lab Opt Astron & Solar Terr Env, Weihai, Peoples R China.; Zhang, QH (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, State Key Lab Space Weather, Beijing, Peoples R China., Shandong Univ, Inst Space Sci, Shandong Prov Key Lab Opt Astron & Solar Terr Env, Weihai, Peoples R China., Chinese Acad Sci, State Key Lab Space Weather, Beijing, Peoples R China., Univ Oslo, Dept Phys, Oslo, Norway., Univ Reading, Dept Meteorol, Reading, Berks, England., Rutherford Appleton Lab, Div Space Sci, SSTD, Didcot, Oxon, England., Polar Res Inst China, SOA Key Lab Polar Sci, Shanghai, Peoples R China., Univ Saskatchewan, Inst Space & Atmospher Studies, Saskatoon, SK, Canada., Peking Univ, Sch Earth & Space Sci, Beijing, Peoples R China., MIT, Haystack Observ, Westford, MA 01886 USA., Virginia Tech, Bradley Dept Elect & Comp Engn, Blacksburg, VA USA., Univ Leicester, Dept Phys & Astron, Leicester, Leics, England., Zhang, QH (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, State Key Lab Space Weather, Beijing, Peoples R China.
• Format: Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS 2016
• Subjects: polar cap patch; storm-enhanced density; subauroral polarization stream; magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling; polar ionosphere; EISCAT SVALBARD RADAR; MAGNETOPAUSE RECONNECTION RATE; INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC-FIELD; PLASMA-DENSITY STRUCTURES; IONOSPHERIC F-REGION; DAYSIDE CONVECTION; NETWORK SUPERDARN; ELECTRON-DENSITY; SUBSTORM CYCLES; IMF; Arctic; Antarctic; Svalbard; Norway; Antarc*; Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration; EISCAT
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/458919; https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA022443

We report the continuous monitoring of a polar cap patch, encompassing its creation, and a subsequent evolution that differs from the classic behavior. The patch was formed from the storm-enhanced density plume, by segmentation associated with a subauroral polarization stream generated by a substorm. Its initial antisunward motion was halted due to a rapidly changing of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions from strong southward to strong eastward with weaker northward components, and the patch subsequently very slowly evolved behind the duskside of a lobe reverse convection cell in afternoon sectors, associated with high-latitude lobe reconnection, much of it fading rapidly due to an enhancement of the ionization recombination rate. This differs from the classic scenario where polar cap patches are transported across the polar cap along the streamlines of twin-cell convection pattern from day to night. This observation provides us new important insights into patch formation and control by the IMF, which has to be taken into account in F region transport models and space weather forecasts. National Basic Research Program [2012CB825603]; National Natural Science Foundation [41574138, 41274149, 41274148]; Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation [JQ201412]; International Collaboration Supporting Project; Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration [IC201511]; Chinese Meridian Project; Specialized Research Fund for State Key Laboratories; Research Council of Norway [230996]; STFC [ST/M000885/1, ST/K001000/1]; NSF [AGS-0946900, AGS-0838219]; Virginia Space Grant Consortium; NERC [NE/K011766/1] SCI(E) ARTICLE [e-mail] 9 9063-9074 121