loading page

Variations of the Heppner-Maynard Boundaries on Northern Hemisphere Measured by SuperDARN During the Extremely Radial IMFs
  • +8
  • zhiwei wang,
  • JianYong Lu,
  • Hongqiao Hu,
  • Jianjun Liu,
  • Ze-Jun Hu,
  • De-Sheng Han,
  • Ming Wang,
  • Bin Li,
  • Xiangcai Chen,
  • Yewen Wu,
  • haiyan guan
zhiwei wang
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Author Profile
JianYong Lu
Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Hongqiao Hu
Polar Research Institute of China
Author Profile
Jianjun Liu
Polar Research Institute of China
Author Profile
Ze-Jun Hu
Polar Research Institute of China
Author Profile
De-Sheng Han
School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University
Author Profile
Ming Wang
Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology
Author Profile
Bin Li
Polar Research Institute of China
Author Profile
Xiangcai Chen
Polar Research Institute of China
Author Profile
Yewen Wu
Institute of Space Weather, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology
Author Profile
haiyan guan
School of Remote Sensing & Geomatics Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology,
Author Profile

Abstract

The Heppner-Maynard Boundary (HMB) represents the equatorward extent of the ionospheric convection pattern and can be used as a proxy for the low latitude of the auroral oval. We present a statistical study of the radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) effects on the HMB midnight latitude calculated from SuperDARN measurements between January 2002 and December 2017. We found the average values of HMB midnight latitude during both sunward and anti-sunward radial IMF are higher than 65.5º. There is a negative correlation between the magnitude of Bx and HMB midnight latitude, although this effect is not obvious. Moreover, the seasonal variation of Bx-HMB correlation coefficients is different with the existence of single lobe reconnection. At the anti-sunward radial period, the correlation coefficient is up to 0.54 in wintertime. It would be caused by the enhanced lobe reconnection rates, which related to the special configuration between the solar-wind and magnetopause. This is the first long-term statistical study focused on HMB during radial IMF conditions in the context of solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. The results suggest that the effect of IMF Bx should not be ignored in the northern hemisphere wintertime especially during the anti-sunward radial IMF conditions.