Efficacy of Electric Field Models in Reproducing Observed Ring Current Ion Spectra During Two Geomagnetic Storms

A. M. Menz; L. M. Kistler; C. G. Mouikis; H. Matsui; H. E. Spence; S. A. Thaller; J. R. Wygant

doi:10.1029/2019JA026683

Efficacy of Electric Field Models in Reproducing Observed Ring Current Ion Spectra During Two Geomagnetic Storms

A. M. Menz, L. M. Kistler, C. G. Mouikis, H. Matsui, H. E. Spence, S. A. Thaller, J. R. Wygant

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

We use the UNH-IMEF, Weimer 1996, https://doi.org/10.1029/96GL02255 and Volland-Stern electric field models along with a dipole magnetic field to calculate drift paths for particles that reach the Van Allen Probes' orbit for two inbound passes during two large geomagnetic storms. We compare the particle access in the models with the observed particle access using both realistic and enhanced solar wind model parameters. To test the accuracy of the drift paths, we estimate the H⁺ charge exchange loss along these drift paths. While increasing the strength of the model electric field drives particles further inward, improving agreement, energy-dependent cutoffs in the spectra do not agree, indicating that potential patterns for highly disturbed times are inaccurate. While none of the models were able to reproduce the observed features of the more dawnward pass during the 17 March 2013 storm, the UNH-IMEF model with enhanced inputs was able to adequately reproduce the access, charge exchange loss, and H⁺ particle pressure during the 17 March 2015 storm.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	8974-8991
Number of pages	18
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume	124
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JA026683
State	Published - Nov 1 2019

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Work at UNH was supported by NASA under Grants NNX14AC03G and NNN06AA01C. Work at the University of Minnesota was supported by APL contract to UMN 922613 under NASA contract to APL NAS5‐01072. HOPE data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.rbsp‐ect.lanl.gov/rbsp_ect.php . EFW data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.space.umn.edu/rbspefw‐data/ . Solar wind plasma and IMF data and the Kp and Dst indices were obtained from http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov .

Funding Information:
Work at UNH was supported by NASA under Grants NNX14AC03G and NNN06AA01C. Work at the University of Minnesota was supported by APL contract to UMN 922613 under NASA contract to APL NAS5-01072. HOPE data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.rbsp-ect.lanl.gov/rbsp_ect.php. EFW data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.space.umn.edu/rbspefw-data/. Solar wind plasma and IMF data and the Kp and Dst indices were obtained from http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov.

Publisher Copyright:
©2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

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title = "Efficacy of Electric Field Models in Reproducing Observed Ring Current Ion Spectra During Two Geomagnetic Storms",

abstract = "We use the UNH-IMEF, Weimer 1996, https://doi.org/10.1029/96GL02255 and Volland-Stern electric field models along with a dipole magnetic field to calculate drift paths for particles that reach the Van Allen Probes' orbit for two inbound passes during two large geomagnetic storms. We compare the particle access in the models with the observed particle access using both realistic and enhanced solar wind model parameters. To test the accuracy of the drift paths, we estimate the H+ charge exchange loss along these drift paths. While increasing the strength of the model electric field drives particles further inward, improving agreement, energy-dependent cutoffs in the spectra do not agree, indicating that potential patterns for highly disturbed times are inaccurate. While none of the models were able to reproduce the observed features of the more dawnward pass during the 17 March 2013 storm, the UNH-IMEF model with enhanced inputs was able to adequately reproduce the access, charge exchange loss, and H+ particle pressure during the 17 March 2015 storm.",

author = "Menz, {A. M.} and Kistler, {L. M.} and Mouikis, {C. G.} and H. Matsui and Spence, {H. E.} and Thaller, {S. A.} and Wygant, {J. R.}",

note = "Funding Information: Work at UNH was supported by NASA under Grants NNX14AC03G and NNN06AA01C. Work at the University of Minnesota was supported by APL contract to UMN 922613 under NASA contract to APL NAS5‐01072. HOPE data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.rbsp‐ect.lanl.gov/rbsp_ect.php . EFW data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.space.umn.edu/rbspefw‐data/ . Solar wind plasma and IMF data and the Kp and Dst indices were obtained from http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov . Funding Information: Work at UNH was supported by NASA under Grants NNX14AC03G and NNN06AA01C. Work at the University of Minnesota was supported by APL contract to UMN 922613 under NASA contract to APL NAS5-01072. HOPE data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.rbsp-ect.lanl.gov/rbsp_ect.php. EFW data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.space.umn.edu/rbspefw-data/. Solar wind plasma and IMF data and the Kp and Dst indices were obtained from http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright}2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.",

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AU - Matsui, H.

AU - Spence, H. E.

AU - Thaller, S. A.

AU - Wygant, J. R.

N1 - Funding Information: Work at UNH was supported by NASA under Grants NNX14AC03G and NNN06AA01C. Work at the University of Minnesota was supported by APL contract to UMN 922613 under NASA contract to APL NAS5‐01072. HOPE data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.rbsp‐ect.lanl.gov/rbsp_ect.php . EFW data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.space.umn.edu/rbspefw‐data/ . Solar wind plasma and IMF data and the Kp and Dst indices were obtained from http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov . Funding Information: Work at UNH was supported by NASA under Grants NNX14AC03G and NNN06AA01C. Work at the University of Minnesota was supported by APL contract to UMN 922613 under NASA contract to APL NAS5-01072. HOPE data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.rbsp-ect.lanl.gov/rbsp_ect.php. EFW data used in this paper were downloaded from http://www.space.umn.edu/rbspefw-data/. Solar wind plasma and IMF data and the Kp and Dst indices were obtained from http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov. Publisher Copyright: ©2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

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N2 - We use the UNH-IMEF, Weimer 1996, https://doi.org/10.1029/96GL02255 and Volland-Stern electric field models along with a dipole magnetic field to calculate drift paths for particles that reach the Van Allen Probes' orbit for two inbound passes during two large geomagnetic storms. We compare the particle access in the models with the observed particle access using both realistic and enhanced solar wind model parameters. To test the accuracy of the drift paths, we estimate the H+ charge exchange loss along these drift paths. While increasing the strength of the model electric field drives particles further inward, improving agreement, energy-dependent cutoffs in the spectra do not agree, indicating that potential patterns for highly disturbed times are inaccurate. While none of the models were able to reproduce the observed features of the more dawnward pass during the 17 March 2013 storm, the UNH-IMEF model with enhanced inputs was able to adequately reproduce the access, charge exchange loss, and H+ particle pressure during the 17 March 2015 storm.

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Efficacy of Electric Field Models in Reproducing Observed Ring Current Ion Spectra During Two Geomagnetic Storms

Abstract

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