What Controls the Dawn‐Dusk Asymmetry of Dayside Alfvénic Power: Interplanetary Magnetic Field or Ionospheric Conductance?

Abstract

Abstract Alfvén waves are important carriers of solar wind energy into the Earth's magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. The observed distribution of Alfvénic power at low altitude exhibits significant dawn‐dusk asymmetry with different causes and impacts on the dayside and nighside. The nightside asymmetry has been shown to be controlled by the meridional gradient in the ionospheric Hall conductance. It is not clear what controls the dayside asymmetry. Both the ionospheric conductance gradient and orientation of the y‐component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) are possible factors. We examined both possibilities using global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. Our results show: (a) The dayside distribution of Alfvénic power is very sensitive to the orientation of IMF By, with enhanced power in the dawn (dusk) sector of the northern hemisphere for positive (negative) By (and opposite in the southern hemisphere); and (b) gradients in ionospheric conductance exert a weaker influence on the dayside asymmetry.

Keywords

• Alfvénic Poynting flux
• IMF By
• ionospheric conductance