EFFECT OF ULF WAVE INDEX IN MAGNETOSPHERIC PLASMA DYNAMICS

A. K. Singh and S. K. Dohare

Department of Physics, University of Lucknow,Lucknow-226007
Email: aksphys@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION
In the magnetosphere the solar wind causes the possible occurrence of geomagnetic
8000
disturbances . In the recent years the new conceptions of magnetospheric plasma dynamics
2500
are being developed in which turbulence play Vitol role (Antonova,2000, Borovsky and 7000
Funsten, 2003). The turbulence of solar wind drives and existence of natural MHD 2000

(eV-s/m)
6000
waveguide and resonator in ULF range (1mHz to 1 Hz) ensures magnetospheric response. So

(eV)
much of the turbulent nature of sun earth interaction can be monitored with ground based 5000
1500

-23
-15
ULF observatories. Various geomagnetic indices are (Kp, Dst AE etc.) are used to monitored 4000

ENERGY x 10

MOMENTUM x10
electrodynamics of sun-earth environment .Since the ground based observations at one 3000 1000
selected observatories or at any one meridian does not give any information about the level
of activity on the global scale, so a new ULF wave index was developed in order to estimate 2000 500
the global wave activity of magnetosphere (Kozyreva et al. 2007). Romonave et al. (2007) 1000
used the ULF index to study the acceleration of energetic electron in the earth’s 0
0
magnetosphere. In this paper we have shown the variation of ULF index introduced by
-1 0 1 2 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Kozyreva et al. and the relativistic electron energy and momentum and its impact on space
ULF Wave Index (nT)
weather studies .The aim of present work to validate the significance of ULF indices with ULF Wave index (nT)
relativistic electron dynamics and demonstrate the space weather related problems and its
applications.
ULF WAVE INDEX Fig 1 & 2: Variation of energy and momentum with ULF wave index
Different types of indices are used as important tool to measure the energy flow in definite
regions of solar wind magnetosphere-ionosphere system and these indices characterize the
steady state level of electrodynamics in earth upper atmosphere . The sporadic movement of RESULT AND DISCUSSION
solar wind drivers and resonators in the magnetospheric plasma in ULF frequency range The continuous emitting of radiation from the sun provides the huge amount of energy in the earth’s
ensures a periodic magnetic field forcing the boundary layers . Hence much sporadic nature magnetosphere and this is responsible for the ring current formation .This newly developed ULF index
of plasma processes of solar wind magnetosphere ionosphere interaction can be monitored provides the facility to characterization and monitoring of turbulent level of solar wind magnetosphere
with ground based receiver and space satellite in the ULF frequency range. The interaction . This index is basically driven from ground based or satellite observations. The energy of
construction of ULF waves index is used to characterize the short scale variability of near relativistic electron depend on the solar wind condition . The turbulence of solar wind passing the
earth electromagnetic processes. ULF index have derived from spectral features of ULF magnetosphere is controlled by the level of upstream turbulence . The presence of turbulence inside and
power from a global array of stations in northern hemisphere. The data have used from the outside of the magnetosphere should have a profound effects on the large scale dynamics. The observed
different observatory (Weimer et al. 2003). According to Kozyreva at different stations the decrease of ULF excitation efficiency with the solar wind velocity increase contradicts the notion on the
data have been inspected and select a cutoff frequency that is converted in to X-Y over reflection of magnetosphere ULF modes at the magnetopause under high velocity (Mann et al.
coordinate system .For any universal time hour , the magnetometer station in chosen MLT 1999).The energy and momentum of relativistic electron are related with the excitation of solar wind .
sector and CGM latitude range. After this for selected stations , the power spectral density Any steady state assumption are in fact invalid because the solar wind represents a rapidly time varying
id calculated with DFT in 1 hour band . At each station the noise and spectral power makes environment to which the magnetosphere is continuously exposed.
total power that introduced as global ULF wave index.

WAVE INDEX & RELATIVISTIC ELECTRON CONCLUSION

DYNAMICS
Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves, naturally occurring plasma waves in the 1mHz to 1 Hz
band, are seen in all region of the magnetosphere form high to equatorial latitude. ULF
waves are also transmitted from the magnetosphere through the ionosphere to the ground .
Since the ionosphere act as a sink form the magnetosphere phenomena , ground based and
ionosphere signatures play an important role in understanding the interaction with the solar
energy source. ULF waves are proxy of global ULF activity and these waves are generated
via various kinds of drift instabilities (Pilipenko, 1990). The energy of electron depends on
the excited solar wind enhancement with fast mode and the ULF wave power grows with
increase with solar wind velocity .Fig 1 and 2 showing the variation of ULF index with
energy and momentum of relativistic electron . The physical interpretation of fig is related
with different latitude and longitude the calculated value of ULF index at that point find
the exact measurement of excitation of relativistic electron. At a fixed latitude the value of
ULF index is calculated and corresponding which the energy of relativistic electron is also
calculated. On that place the excitation is more than coupling tendency is more and weather
is sporadic .On the other hand the if excitation is less , than the coupling is less and weather
is calm. This will give the exact situation of space weather and in the forthcoming event and
can play an important role in weather forecasting. The ULF index has developed to
characterizing the turbulent level of geomagnetic field and analysis of relativistic electron
enhancements during the space weather event.
The new ULF wave index is simple and convenient tool for the description of the wave activity in an
important and powerful frequency range of the magnetosphere system and it can be applied to various
space physics and space weather problems like solar wind and the IMF interaction with the
magnetosphere, substorm physics , high speed streams , ring current dynamic structure , study of storm
and substorm related with ULF waves, role of electron acceleration belt formation . This ULF index is
analogous to geomagnetic indices that have been derived form the ground and the satellite magnetometer
observational data and useful for the study and relativistic electron energization
Acknowledgment: AKS is thankful to Department of Science and Technology (DST), government of India
providing the financial support as a research project (file no. SR/S4/AS: 261/06). Authors are also thankful to Prof.
Kozyreva et al. for helping in study of ULF wave index and providing the data.
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