Characteristics of penetration electric fields to the equatorial ionosphere during southward and northward IMF turnings

Abstract

The signatures of abrupt turnings of the vertical component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), Bz, can be seen at equatorial latitudes through the prompt transmission of high-latitude electric fields to the lower latitudes, called as prompt penetration electric field (PPE). The present work studies the signatures of PPE in daytime equatorial electrojet (EEJ) index derived in the Indian sector during 2001–2005. The signatures are observed in polar (PCN index) and equatorial (EEJ index) ionosphere almost instantaneously (<1 min). The communication time of 12±6 min is observed between bow shock nose and the equatorial ionosphere, and it is found to have inverse relationship with radial component of solar wind velocity during southward and northward Bz turnings which might indicate magnetosphere crossing time scale by solar wind. Ionospheric reconfiguration time during southward turnings shows inverse relationship with solar wind flow in contrast to northward turnings with “no relationship,” indicating differences in underlying physical mechanisms during both turnings. We observe no local time dependence (within 06–18 h) in conductivity-corrected EEJ signatures associated with Bz turnings. Regression analysis between conductivity-corrected EEJ and interplanetary electric field shows higher efficiency during northward turnings. However, further analysis investigating the effect of actual orientation of Bz indicates that the magnitude of northward Bz does not have influence on the ionospheric signatures. It is noticed that the response signatures are mainly controlled by the magnitudes of southward Bz. Thus, the present study signifies the role of inner magnetospheric shielding electric field in addition to ceasing of convection during northward turnings.