Improved horizontal wind model HWM07 enables estimation of equatorial ionospheric electric fields from satellite magnetic measurements
نویسندگان
چکیده
[1] Horizontal neutral winds play an important role in lowlatitude ionospheric E and F-region dynamics. In particular, the zonal winds have strong effects on the local structure of the low-latitude ionospheric current system. Accurate wind specification is therefore essential for modeling these currents. In order to investigate the retrieval of eastward electric fields from satellite-derived equatorial electrojet (EEJ) profiles, we consider a provisional Horizontal Wind Model (HWM07) and its implications for the meridional structure of the EEJ. We find that EEJ current profiles predicted using HWM07 agree better with CHAMP magnetometer-derived current profiles than EEJ profiles predicted using the older HWM93 model. The improved wind model opens exciting new possibilities of determining the day-side eastward electric field in the equatorial ionosphere from satellite magnetic field measurements. Citation: Alken, P., S. Maus, J. Emmert, and D. P. Drob (2008), Improved horizontal wind model HWM07 enables estimation of equatorial ionospheric electric fields from satellite magnetic measurements, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L11105, doi:10.1029/ 2008GL033580.
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