Science goals and objectives: The overarching goal is to reveal distinctive features of the Earth's magnetosphere during extreme events (EEs) through empirical reconstruction of the geomagnetic field, electric currents and plasma pressure for superstorms (Dst index<- 300 nT), taking into account their statistical peculiarity as EEs.

We propose a comprehensive study of the response of the mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere (MT-I) to extreme solar flare events. Our goal is to quantify how the electron density profile can be perturbed during these extreme events and assess the consequences of these perturbations for radio wave propagation through the ionosphere.

This proposal will address the Focused Science Topic "Understanding Physical Processes in the Magnetosphere--Ionosphere / Thermosphere / Mesosphere System (M-ITM) during Extreme Events." We will investigate the global physics-based modeling of the magnetosphere-ionosphere (M-I) system under extreme solar driving conditions such as those experienced during the Carrington storm of 1859.

Science goals and objectives: 

Science Question: 

SQ1. What are the global distribution and dynamics of electric and magnetic fields in the magnetosphere and ionospheric potential during extreme events? 

The objective of this proposal is to understand how the thermosphere-ionosphere system responds to an extreme space weather event, such as the Carrington storm of 1859 or the solar wind conditions experienced by STEREO-A when a CME struck the spacecraft on July 23rd, 2012. These solar wind conditions provide a reasonable scenario for a once in a 100-year extreme solar storm impacting Earth.

Science:

Geomagnetic storms produce significant changes in the ionosphere. The equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) becomes enhanced, with its crests moving poleward and its peaks becoming larger. In the mid-latitudes, typically following a significant uplift in the height of the F layer, a large increase in the electron density is observed. A plume of storm enhanced density (SED) can form with its base in the mid-latitudes and can extend into the polar region.

The proposal will seek to understand and quantify the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere response for extreme driving conditions using the 3D multifluid MHD code (BATS-R-US) coupled to the inner magnetosphere module (CIMI), the module of ionospheric electrodynamics and the outflow module. Historical data available for extreme geomagnetic storms will be compared with the simulations when available.