Ion Heating in the Polar Cap Under Northwards IMF Bz. Issue 11 (11th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lamarche, Leslie J.; Varney, Roger H.; Reimer, Ashton S.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 126:Issue 11(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-11-11
• Subjects: ionosphere -- polar cap -- ion heating -- mesoscale flows; Magnetospheric physics -- Periodicals; Space environment -- Periodicals; Cosmic physics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Atmospheres -- Periodicals; Heliosphere (Astrophysics) -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 523.01
• DOI: 10.1029/2021JA029155
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9380

Abstract

Abstract: Joule heating deposits a significant amount of energy into the high‐latitude ionosphere and is an important factor in many magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling processes. We consider the relationship between localized temperature enhancements in polar cap measured with the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar‐North (RISR‐N) and the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Based on analysis of 10 years of data, RISR‐N most commonly observes ion heating in the noon sector under northwards IMF B z . We interpret heating events in that sector as being primarily driven by sunwards plasma convection associated with lobe reconnection. We attempt to model two of the observed temperature enhancements with a data‐driven first principles model of ionospheric plasma transport and dynamics, but fail to fully reproduce the ion temperature enhancements. However, evaluating the ion energy equation using the locally measured ion velocities reproduces the observed ion temperature enhancements. This result indicates that current techniques for estimating global plasma convection pattern are not adequately capturing mesoscale flows in the polar cap, and this can result in underestimation of the energy deposition into the ionosphere and thermosphere. Key Points: Ion temperature enhancements are frequently observed in the noon sector of the polar cap under interplanetary magnetic field north conditions Current models driven by large‐scale convection and precipitation fail to produce the observed ion temperature enhancements Mesoscale flows and precipitation structures may be critical to account for ion heating in the polar cap