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Understanding the Relation Between Various Solar Wind Drivers and Earth's Inner Magnetospheric D

Understanding the solar wind drivers leading to dynamical evolution of waves and particles in Earth's magnetosphere is critical for the space weather prediction. We study the detailed relationship between various solar wind drivers (e.g., Corona Mass Ejections, High Speed Streams, and Solar wind Pressure Pulses) and wave and particle dynamics in Earth's inner magnetosphere using unprecedented multi-satellite observations.

[Credit: NASA]

Superposed epoch analysis results of efficient electron acceleration (red) and inefficient electron acceleration events (blue). From top to bottom panels show solar wind dynamic pressure, solar wind velocity, interplanetary magnetic field (Bz), electron PSD, and chorus wave intensity [Li W. et al., GRL, 2015].

Selected Publications on This Topic:

  • Li, W., R. Thorne, J. Bortnik, R. McPherron, Y. Nishimura, V. Angelopoulos, and I. G. Richardson (2012), Evolution of chorus waves and their source electrons during storms driven by corotating interaction regions, J. Geophys. Res., 117, A08209, doi:10.1029/2012JA017797.

  • Li, W., R. M. Thorne, J. Bortnik, D. N. Baker, G. D. Reeves, S. G. Kanekal, H. E. Spence, and J. C. Green (2015), Solar wind conditions leading to efficient radiation belt electron acceleration: A superposed epoch analysis, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 6906-6915, doi:10.1002/2015GL065342.

  • Gao, X., W. Li, J. Bortnik, R. M. Thorne, Q. Lu, Q. Ma, X. Tao, and S. Wang (2015), The effect of different solar wind parameters upon significant relativistic electron flux dropouts in the magnetosphere, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 120, 4324-4337, doi:10.1002/2015JA021182.

  • Zhou, C., W. Li, R. M. Thorne, J. Bortnik, Q. Ma, X. An, X.-j. Zhang, V. Angelopoulos, B. Ni, X. Gu, et al. (2015), Excitation of dayside chorus waves due to magnetic field line compression in response to interplanetary shocks, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 120, 8327–8338, doi:10.1002/2015JA021530.

  • Zhang, X.-J., W. Li, R. M. Thorne, V. Angelopoulos, Q. Ma, J. Li, J. Bortnik, L. Chen, D. N. Baker, G. D. Reeves, H. E. Spence, C. A. Kletzing, W. S. Kurth, G. B. Hospodarsky, J. B. Blake, and J. F. Fennell (2016), Physical mechanism causing rapid changes in ultrarelativistic electron pitch angle distributions right after a shock arrival: Evaluation of an electron dropout event, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics,121, doi:10.1002/2016JA022517.

  • Yue, C., W. Li, Y. Nishimura, Q. Zong, Q. Ma, J. Bortnik, R. M. Thorne, G. D. Reeves, H. E. Spence, C. A. Kletzing, J. R. Wygant, and M. J. Nicolls (2016), Rapid enhancement of low-energy (<100 eV) ion flux in response to interplanetary shocks based on two Van Allen Probes case studies: Implications for source regions and heating mechanisms, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 121, 6430–6443, doi:10.1002/2016JA022808.

  • Keika, K., M. Spasojevic, W. Li, J. Bortnik, Y. Miyoshi, and V. Angelopoulos (2012), PENGUIn/AGO and THEMIS conjugate observations of whistler mode chorus waves in the dayside uniform zone under steady solar wind and quiet geomagnetic conditions, J. Geophys. Res., 117, A07212, doi:10.1029/2012JA017708.

  • Golden, D. I., M. Spasojevic, W. Li, and Y. Nishimura (2012), An empirical model of magnetospheric chorus amplitude using solar wind and geomagnetic indices, J. Geophys. Res., 117, A12204, doi:10.1029/2012JA018210.

  • Kissinger, J., L. Kepko, D. N. Baker, S. Kanekal, W. Li, R. L. McPherron, and V. Angelopoulos (2014), The importance of storm time steady magnetospheric convection in determining the final relativistic electron flux level, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 119, 7433-7443, doi:10.1002/2014JA019948.

  • Kanekal, S. G., D. N. Baker, M. G. Henderson, W. Li, J. F. Fennell, Y. Zheng, I. G. Richardson, A. Jones, A. F. Ali, S. R. Elkington, et al. (2015), Relativistic electron response to the combined magnetospheric impact of a coronal mass ejection overlapping with a high-speed stream: Van Allen Probes observations, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 120, 7629-7641, doi:10.1002/2015JA021395.

  • Horne, R. B., M. W. Phillips, S. A. Glauert, N.P. Meredith, A. Hands, K. Ryden, and W. Li. (2018), Realistic worst case for a severe space weather event driven by a fast solar wind stream, Space Weather, 16, 1202–1215. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW00194

  • Li, W., & Hudson, M. K. (2019). Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts: From Discovery to the Van Allen Probes Era. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 124, 8319–8351. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA025940


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