We have compared the CHAMP satellite accelerometer measured high-latitude thermospheric winds at the height 400 km with the global patterns of the thermospheric winds calculated numerically using UAM (Upper Atmosphere Model). The instantaneous model patterns of neutral wind at high latitudes for October 28, 2003 are similar to the statistical CHAMP wind pattern (the CHAMP data averaged for the whole 2003 year). The high-latitude coupling between thermospheric circulation and solar wind driven magnetospheric plasma convection vortices is clearly seen in both satellite observed data and theoretically modelled results. We tried to take into account the By dependence of the electric potential by turning and shifting the UAM calculated potential pattern. Such correction improves in some cases the agreement between the UAM calculated and CHAMP measured crosswind speed.

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Förster, M.; Namgaladze, A. A.; Doronina, E. N.; Prokhorov, B. E. (2011): High-latitude thermospheric winds: Satellite data and model calculations. Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 5, 3, 439-446.