Field-aligned and ionospheric currents by AMPERE and SuperMAG during
HSS/SIR-driven storms
Abstract
This study considers 28 geomagnetic storms with Dst
$\leq-50$ nT driven by high-speed streams (HSSs) and
associated stream interaction regions (SIRs) during 2010-2017. Their
impact on ionospheric horizontal and field-aligned currents (FACs) have
been investigated using superposed epoch analysis of SuperMAG and AMPERE
data, respectively. The zero epoch ($t_0$) was set to the onset of
the storm main phase. Storms begin in the SIR with enhanced solar wind
density and compressed southward oriented magnetic field. The integrated
FAC and equivalent currents maximise 40 and 58 min after $t_0$,
respectively, followed by a small peak in the middle of the main phase
($t_0$+4h), and a slightly larger peak just before the Dst minimum
($t_0$+5.3h). The currents are strongly driven by the solar wind, and
the correlation between the Akasofu $\varepsilon$ and
integrated FAC is $0.90$. The number of substorm onsets maximises near
$t_0$. The storms were also separated into two groups based on the
solar wind dynamic pressure p_dyn in the vicinity of the SIR. High
p_dyn storms reach solar wind velocity maxima earlier and have shorter
lead times from the HSS arrival to storm onset compared with low p_dyn
events. The high p_dyn events also have sudden storm commencements,
stronger solar wind driving and ionospheric response at $t_0$, and
are primarily responsible for the first peak in the currents after
$t_0$. After $t_0+2$ days, the currents and number of substorm
onsets become higher for low compared with high p_dyn events, which may
be related to higher solar wind speed.