Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Cold plasma distribution in the ionosphere‐plasmasphere system governs wave‐particle interactions, plasma energization and loss, and radio wave propagation. A longstanding observational gap at altitudes 800–8,000 km has largely prevented studying the coupled dynamics of the two regions. Here, we show that observations by JAXA's Arase mission can bridge this gap. Electron densities inferred from the upper hybrid resonance frequencies measured by Arase are highly consistent with radio occultation profiles from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) mission, with a median difference of 5%. Using the combined COSMIC‐Arase data set, we provide a convenient way to reconcile the two regions in empirical models based on the analytical Chapman function inversion for scale height. Our results enable studying fundamental questions about the ionosphere‐plasmasphere coupling, their transition, and life cycle of cold plasma in near‐Earth space.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2025gl119267
Authors: Artem Smirnov, Yuri Shprits, Hermann Lühr, Elena A. Kronberg, Jerry Goldstein, Yoshizumi Miyoshi, Fabricio Prol, Alessio Pignalberi, Natalia Buzulukova, Nicholas Pedatella, Bernhard Haas, Dedong Wang, Yoshiya Kasahara, Fuminori Tsuchiya, Shoya Matsuda, Atsuki Shinbori, Ayako Matsuoka
Institutions: GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Potsdam, Southwest Research Institute, Nagoya University, Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, Maanmittauslaitos, University of Vaasa, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, College Park, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, NSF NCAR High Altitude Observatory, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Kanazawa University, Tohoku University, Kyoto University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
Awards: G1335240794, G1459761209, Energiereiche Ionen im Weltraum, The Management and Operation of the National Center for Atmoshperic Research (NCAR), Exploring the Tropical Atmosphere with Advanced Radio Occultation: Processing, Serving, and Analyzing Radio Occultation Data to Advance Atmospheric Science, G6052105518, Exploring the Upper Limits of the Ionosphere (EULI): Enhancing GNSS by Unveiling the Transition Region to the Plasmasphere, Die Eigenschaften der Choruswellen in der inneren Magnetosphäre der Erde und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Elektronen des VanAllenStrahlungsgürtels verstehen
OpenAlex ID: W7110126890