Observation of Quiet‐Time Mid‐Latitude Joule Heating and Comparisons With the TIEGCM Simulation
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Joule heating is a major energy sink in the solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere system and modeling it is key to understanding the impact of space weather on the neutral atmosphere. Ion drifts and neutral wind velocities are key parameters when modeling Joule heating, however there is limited validation of the modeled ion and neutral velocities at mid‐latitudes. We use the Blackstone Super Dual Auroral Radar Network radar and the Michigan North American Thermosphere Ionosphere Observing Network Fabry‐Perot interferometer to obtain the local nightside ion and neutral velocities at ∼40° geographic latitude during the nighttime of 16 July 2014. Despite being a geomagnetically quiet period, we observe significant sub‐auroral ion flows in excess of 200 ms −1 . We calculate an enhancement to the local Joule heating rate due to these ion flows and find that the neutrals impart a significant increase or decrease to the total Joule heating rate of >75% depending on their direction. We compare our observations to outputs from the Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIEGCM). At such a low geomagnetic activity however, TIEGCM was not able to model significant sub‐auroral ion flows and any resulting Joule heating enhancements equivalent to our observations. We found that the neutral winds were the primary contributor to the Joule heating rates modeled by TIEGCM rather than the ions as suggested by our observations.
DOI: 10.1029/2024ja032578
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,880
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Clemson University, Eastern Kentucky University, UK Research and Innovation, Sight Research UK, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Natural Environment Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Office of Naval Research, Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, British Antarctic Survey
Awards: ENVISION Doctoral Training Partnership, G2115588455, G2327454087, EISCAT_3D: Fine-scale structuring, scintillation, and electrodynamics (FINESSE), The Management and Operation of the National Center for Atmoshperic Research (NCAR), G306884363, G3372861463, G3425866646, Understanding the Energy Pathways of Earth's Magnetosphere, G3633992329, Scientific and Technical Discovery at the Millstone Hill Geospace Facility, DRivers and Impacts of Ionospheric Variability with EISCAT-3D (DRIIVE), Collaborative Research: Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) Operations, Research and Community Support, G5612455620, G5653465434, G6327653687, Predicting the upper atmospheric response to extremes of space weather forcing, G7380308685, G8343476545
OpenAlex ID: W4402139723