Differences in the response to CME and CIR drivers of geomagnetic disturbances

Abstract

Utilizing 1-minute resolution data on the geomagnetic indices SYM-H, AE, solar wind parameters (velocity Vsw and density Np), and z-component Bz of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during solar cycles 23 and 24, we have statistically analyzed the correlations between geomagnetic activity (storms and substorms), Vsw, Np, Bz, and energy coupling functions of solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere. For the selected 131 CME-driven storms, SYM-H stronger depends on Vsw and B than other parameters, whereas the selected 161 CIR-driven storms have nearly the same dependence on the solar wind electric field, the rate of open magnetic flux dφ/dt, and the reconnection electric field Ekl. Thus, the solar wind electric field and the dayside magnetic reconnection are likely to have different contributions for storms of the two types. During storms of different types, the substorm intensity AE relies mainly on the IMF Bz, rate of open magnetic flux and reconnection electric field.

Keywords

• solar wind
• coronal mass ejections
• corotating interaction regions
• geomagnetic storms
• magnetospheric substorms
• correlations