Authors
Yen-Jung Wu, Stephen B Mende, Brian J Harding, Patrick Alken, Astrid I Maute, Thomas J Immel, Lilias Claire Gasque, Colin Charles Triplett
Publication date
2023/12
Journal
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
Volume
2023
Issue
2707
Pages
SA23B-2707
Description
The equatorial ionosphere experiences notable daily variations, influenced in part by lower thermospheric neutral winds that generate currents, a process known as the neutral wind dynamo. ICON, NASA's Ionospheric CONnection Explorer, enables simultaneous space-based observations of thermospheric neutral winds and ionospheric electric fields through in situ plasma drift measurements near the magnetic equator. By combining the altitude-integrated conductivity weighted wind and electric field, the ionospheric current can be calculated. During conjunctions with the European Space Agency's Swarm satellites, magnetic signatures of ionospheric currents are measured by Swarm, revealing a strong correlation (r~ 0.7) between the zonal currents derived from ICON and the eastward component of the Sq current system from Swarm's magnetic measurements near midday. This significant correlation suggests a …