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On the 2015 St. Patrick Storm Turbulent State of the Ionosphere: Hints from the Swarm Mission

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P. De Michelis, A. Pignalberi, G. Consolini, I. Coco, R. Tozzi, M. Pezzopane, F. Giannattasio and G. Balasis

We analysed the electron density fluctuations in the high-latitude ionosphere during the St. Patrick’s geomagnetic storm occurred on 17 March 2015, in order to investigate the possible turbulent nature of the ionospheric plasma. Electron density measurements were taken in both hemispheres from two of the three ESA Swarm satellites (A and B), covering the time period between 16 and 22 March 2015.

Daily maps of 1st order scaling exponent (Hurst) (first row) and the 2nd order scaling exponent (second row). Superposed to daily maps the SuperDARN polar potential maps obtained using the statistical convection model CS10. These daily maps cover the time interval 16-19 March 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere and are in QD-latitude and MLT coordinate system.

We reconstructed the Rate Of change of electron Density Index (RODI), which can be considered as a proxy for the presence of plasma irregularities, and compared it with quantities related to the spectral properties of the electron density fluctuations. We found that, independently of the different phases of the analyzed geomagnetic storm, the observed fluctuations pattern seems to support the idea of a fluid and/or magnetohydrodynamic turbulence as the main cause of the high values of RODI recorded at high latitudes in the auroral and polar cap regions.

Publication: P. De Michelis, A. Pignalberi, G. Consolini, I. Coco, R. Tozzi, M. Pezzopane, F. Giannattasio and G. Balasis, On the 2015 St. Patrick Storm Turbulent State of the Ionosphere: Hints from the Swarm Mission, J. Geophys. Res.: Space Physics, 125, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA027934