Electromagnetic and Mechanical Coupling in the Ionosphere-Magnetosphere System

Electromagnetic and Mechanical energetic coupling mechanisms between the ionosphere and the magnetosphere are poorly understood. Coupling through layers can occur via acoustic waves, plasma ducts, whistler waves, and many other processes. Using the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) Ionospheric Research Instrument, a series of experiments were performed to incite energy transfer between layers via acoustic gravity waves (AGWs), and artificially induced electron precipitation. To incite AGWs, a heating beam was swept in a circle about zenith in order to create heated high-pressure regions. In the second experiment, waves were injected into the magnetosphere in an attempt to induce electron precipitation by generating a duct using a CW heating beam aligned to magnetic zenith while simultaneously modulating the Auroral Electrojet to generate Very Low Frequency (VLF) waves. To determine whether AGWs were successfully generated and whether electron precipitation occurred, remote sensing will be conducted using measurements of VLF waves as a signal of opportunity. Data was collected using a VLF receiver placed in Chistochina, AK which receives MSK modulated transmitters, lightning generated radio waves (sferics), as well as other signals of opportunity. Duct formation can be determined by searching for hops or dispersive effects of the upper atmosphere on the ducted wave.