IMAGE RPI observations of storm enhanced density in the inner magnetosphere

J. Tu, M. Dhar, P. Song, B. W. Reinisch


Plasma density enhancements in the inner magnetosphere during magnetic storms
are studied using observations from the active sounding measurements of the
radio plasma imager (RPI) onboard the IMAGE satellite. The density variations
observed by the IMAGE RPI are examined in the context of the plasma plumes
(storm time density enhancements) demonstrated in the global GPS TEC maps. Along
the IMAGE orbits, which passed through the plumes, the RPI remotely measured
electron density distributions along the magnetic field lines. Those
field-aligned density profiles can be used to derive information about the
altitudinal density structures, in addition to the horizontal TEC distributions,
thus allowing better understanding of the plasma dynamics during such storm
enhanced density events. We discuss the possible mechanisms of the storm-time
density enhancements associated with the plasma plumes using RPI and TEC
observations.

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EGU meeting, Vienna Austria, April 2006