极地研究 ›› 2024, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1): 70-79.DOI: 10.13679/j.jdyj.20240009

• 研究论文 • 上一篇    下一篇

极盖区等离子体云块触发的极向边界点亮事件的观测研究

赵变龙1  邢赞扬1  张清和1  马羽璋1  王勇1  胡泽骏2  张佼佼3  王翔宇1陆盛1  张端1   

  1. 1山东大学空间科学研究院, 山东 威海 264209;
    2中国极地研究中心(中国极地研究所), 上海 200136;
    3中国科学院国家空间科学中心, 北京 101408
  • 出版日期:2024-03-30 发布日期:2024-03-30
  • 通讯作者: 邢赞扬, E-mail: xingzanyang@sdu.edu.cn
  • 作者简介:赵变龙, 女, 2000年生。硕士研究生, 主要从事夜侧开闭磁力线区域的物理过程研究。E-mail: 1938256050@qq.com
  • 基金资助:

    国家自然科学基金(42120104003, 42204164)、山东省自然科学基金(ZR2022MD034, ZR2022QD077)、小米青年学者项目电波环境特性及模化技术国家重点实验室基金(6142403180204)、中国电波传播研究所稳定支持科研经费资助项目(A132312191)和国家博士后科学基金(2021M701974)资助

Observation of poleward boundary intensification events triggered by polar cap patches

ZHAO Bianlong1, XING Zanyang1, ZHANG Qinghe1, MA Yuzhang1, WANG Yong1, HU Zejun2, ZHANG Jiaojiao3, WANG Xiangyu1, LU Sheng1, ZHANG Duan1   

  1. 1 Institute of Space Science, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China;
    2 Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200136, China;
    3 National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
  • Online:2024-03-30 Published:2024-03-30

摘要:

极盖区等离子体云块是电子密度比背景高出2倍及以上的高密度不均匀体, 极向边界点亮是夜侧极光卵极向边界亮度显著增强的极光结构。探究极盖区等离子体云块与极向边界点亮现象的形成和演化以及二者之间的关系对理解极区电离层-磁层耦合具有重要意义。本文基于北极黄河站全天空极光成像仪、欧洲非相干散射雷达(EISCAT)SuperDARN雷达和GPS TEC等多手段观测数据, 揭示极盖区等离子体云块运动到夜侧极光卵极向边界, 进而触发极向边界点亮的完整过程。研究结果表明, (1)高密度等离子体云块从极盖区运动到夜侧极光卵极向边界时, 极向边界附近的极光强度明显增加, 即出现了极向边界点亮现象。(2)极光亚暴发生后, 极光卵极向膨胀, 极向边界到达EISCAT Svalbard 42 m雷达观测视野。该雷达观测到了高密度、高电子和离子温度的结构, 并伴随着电子密度峰值高度下降和离子上行等现象, 这与高密度等离子体云块的输运和当地的极光粒子沉降密切相关。(3)从日侧向夜侧输运的等离子体云块到达夜侧极光卵极向边界附近时可能触发极向边界点亮, 并且影响等离子体云块和极光粒子沉降接触区域的等离子体特征, 这有助于加深我们对夜侧极区电离层-磁层耦合过程的理解。

关键词:

极盖区等离子体云块, 极向边界点亮, 极光亚暴, 电离层对流, 北极

Abstract:

Polar cap patches are common high-density irregularities in the polar cap ionosphere with electron densities of more than twice the background density. Poleward boundary intensifications (PBI) are auroral structures characterized by significantly enhanced brightness of the nightside auroral oval at its poleward boundary. Understanding PBI formation, evolution, and relationship with polar cap plasma is crucial to study the process of polar ionosphere–magnetosphere coupling. In this work, we analyzed the complete PBI generation process triggered by polar cap patches moving to the poleward boundary of the nightside auroral oval, using observational data from the all-sky auroral imager of the Arctic Yellow River Station, the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) radars, and total electron content data from the GPS receivers. The results indicate that high-density plasma moved antisunward and reached the nightside poleward boundary of the auroral oval, markedly enhancing the local auroral intensity and triggering PBI events. When substorms induced a poleward expansion of the nightside auroral oval, EISCAT Svalbard 42 m radars observed high- density plasma structures with high electron and ion temperatures, as well as a decrease of the electron density peak height and an ion upflow, both explained by high-density plasma vertical transport and particle precipitation. This implies that plasma transported from the polar cap region to the nightside auroral oval effectively triggered PBI events that in turn, influenced the plasma characteristics. This analysis clarifies ionosphere–magnetosphere coupling processes in the nightside polar region.

Key words:

polar cap patches, poleward boundary intensification, auroral substorms, ionospheric convection, Arctic