Observations of Pc5 micropulsation-related electric field oscillations in the equatorial ionosphere

Abstract

A 54.95-MHz coherent backscatter radar, an ionosonde and the magnetometer located at Trivandrum in India (8.5°N, 77°E, 0.5°N dip angle) recorded large-amplitude ionospheric fluctuations and magnetic field fluctuations associated with a Pc5 micropulsation event, which occurred during an intense magnetic storm on 24 March 1991 (A_p=161). Simultaneous 100-nT-level fluctuations are also observed in the H-component at Brorfelde, Denmark (55.6°N gm) and at Narsarsuaq, Greenland (70.6°N gm). Our study of the above observations shows that the E-W electric field fluctuations in the E- and F-regions and the magnetic field fluctuations at Thumba are dominated by a near-sinusoidal oscillation of 10 min during 1730−1900 IST (1200−1330 UT), the amplitude of the electric field oscillation in the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) is 0.1−0.25 mV m⁻¹ and it increases with height, while it is about 1.0 mV m⁻¹ in the F-region, the ground-level H-component oscillation can be accounted for by the ionospheric current oscillation generated by the observed electric field oscillation in the EEJ and the H-component oscillations at Trivandrum and Brorfelde are in phase with each other. The observations are interpreted in terms of a compressional cavity mode resonance in the inner magnetosphere and the associated ionospheric electric field penetrating from high latitudes to the magnetic equator.