Local Mapping of Polar Ionospheric Electrodynamics.

Area of Science:

• * Geophysics and Space Physics
• * Atmospheric and Space Sciences

Background:

• * Accurate ionospheric state description is vital for understanding Earth's space coupling and space weather.
• * Existing ground networks (magnetometers, radars, optical instruments) have limited spatial coverage due to geographical and infrastructural constraints.
• * Polar regions require advanced techniques for detailed ionospheric electrodynamics mapping.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To present a novel technique for local mapping of polar ionospheric electrodynamics in data-rich regions.
• * To adapt and expand the use of spherical elementary current systems (SECS) for regional ionospheric analysis.
• * To provide a method comparable to existing techniques like AMIE but optimized for regional, arbitrary spatial scales.

Main Methods:

• * Employing spherical elementary current systems (SECS) for ionospheric current mapping.
• * Integrating magnetic field perturbations (space and ground), convection measurements (space and ground), and conductance data.
• * Utilizing the ionospheric Ohm's law to link various geophysical measurements.
• * Developing a technique tailored for regional analyses with arbitrary spatial extent and resolution.

Main Results:

• * Demonstrated the technique's efficacy on both synthetic and real-world data from diverse regions.
• * Successfully mapped polar ionospheric electrodynamics using the SECS-based approach.
• * Showcased the technique's applicability in regions with high data density, such as Fennoscandia and North America.

Conclusions:

• * The new SECS-based technique offers a viable alternative for regional ionospheric electrodynamics mapping.
• * The method enhances the analysis of space weather phenomena by providing detailed local ionospheric descriptions.
• * Further improvements and limitations of the technique warrant future investigation.