GFZ German research centre for geo sciences

Swarm-AEBS - Auroral Electrojet and auroral Boundaries estimated from Swarm observations

Diese Seite ist zur Zeit leider nur in englischer Sprache verfügbar.

With their near-polar orbits, the three Swarm satellites provide an excellent opportunity for investigating ionospheric currents at high latitudes. In the proposed project (Auroral Electrojet and auroral Boundaries estimated from Swarm observations, hereafter Swarm-AEBS) a set of three new products is designed and applied to the data of each Swarm satellite separately, for characterizing the ionospheric currents at auroral latitudes. We implement two separate algorithms that both determine latitude profiles, peak current densities and boundaries of Auroral Electrojets (AEJs) based on the measurements of magnetic field intensity at 1 Hz sampling provided as Swarm L1b product MAGx_LR_1B (where x = A, B, or C for Swarm A, Swarm B, or Swarm C, respectively). In addition, an algorithm that determines the boundaries of the auroral oval is implemented. The two algorithms to be used for AEJ intensity and boundary detection will be based on methodologies using Spherical Elementary Current Systems (SECS) and Line Current (LC) systems. The auroral oval boundaries are detected with an automated routine analysing squared intensities of small scale Field-Aligned Currents (FACs) as derived from the Swarm L2 Cat-2 product FACxTMS_2F (the single satellite approach). Products resulting from IPIR will be visualised within the virtual research service - VirES for Swarm.

Time Frame

  • 2018 - 2020

Funding

  • The European Space Agency (ESA) through Technical University of Denmark (DTU) - ITT for  Strength and location of the auroral electrojets based on Swarm data

Principal Investigators

  • Dr. Liisa Juusola (FMI) - Primary Coordinator
  • Dr. Chao Xiong (GFZ)
  • Lars Tøffner-Clausen (DTU)

Personnel

  • Dr. Guram Kervalishvili (GFZ)
  • Jan Rauberg (GFZ)
  • Prof. Dr. Claudia Stolle (GFZ)

Project Website

http://www.space.fmi.fi/MIRACLE/Swarm_AEBS/

Cooperations

  • Ilmatieteen laitos (FMI), Finnland
  • Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU), Denmark
back to top of main content