Dipolar elementary current systems for ionospheric current reconstruction at low and middle latitudes

Area of Science:

• Space Physics
• Geophysics
• Atmospheric Science

Background:

• Spherical elementary current systems (SECS) analyze ionospheric and field-aligned currents (FAC) using magnetic field data.
• The original SECS method is limited to high latitudes due to assumptions about radial FAC flow.
• Low and middle latitude FAC patterns deviate significantly from radial flow, restricting SECS application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the SECS technique for application across all Earth latitudes.
• To introduce a modified method, dipolar elementary current systems (DECS), for comprehensive ionospheric current analysis.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional SECS at low and middle latitudes.

Main Methods:

• Modification of the curl-free (CF) component of SECS by incorporating FAC that follow dipolar field lines.
• Development of the dipolar elementary current systems (DECS) method.
• Validation using synthetic datasets and real-world measurements from the Swarm satellite constellation.

Main Results:

• The DECS method successfully extends the analysis of ionospheric and FAC to low and middle latitudes.
• Demonstrated good performance and accuracy of the DECS technique.
• Confirmed the applicability of DECS for global studies of ionospheric current systems.

Conclusions:

• The DECS method provides a robust tool for global ionospheric and FAC research.
• This advancement significantly enhances our capability to study magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling.
• DECS opens new avenues for understanding space weather phenomena at all latitudes.