Study of the generation and evolution of ionospheric irregularities on a global scale, during solar cycles 24 and 25.

Abstract

The main objective of this proposal is to explore the electrodynamics of the ionosphere, generation and evolution of ionospheric irregularities and space weather during geomagnetic storms and substorms. To carry out this research, several solar or geomagnetically disturbed events will be taken in the space era (after 1958), covering Solar Cycles 24 and 25. Observations from the global network of magnetometers, GPS/GNSS receivers, ionosondes, all-sky imaging photometer , Fabry-Perot interferometers, RADARs, etc., will be analyzed to study the electrodynamics and generation of ionospheric irregularities month-to-month, day-to-day and variation with the solar cycle. Furthermore, observations from satellites such as ACE, WIND, MMS, THEMIS, Cluster, SWARM, TIMED-GUVI, DMSP-SSUSI, etc., will be used to study the sources of Solar Wind change and the Solar Wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in large and small scales. The main objective of the research is to advance the understanding of the sources of Solar Wind changes, SW-MI coupling, energy flow and transfer, and global ionospheric responses of geomagnetic storms and substorms. It also aims to advance the current understanding of ionospheric responses and associated plasma irregularities in the Brazilian sector during geomagnetic storms and substorms of different levels/intensities. Furthermore, it also aims to advance the understanding of the differential responses of the ionosphere in the Brazilian (South American), African, European and Asian sectors during intense geomagnetic storms and supersubstorms, and their impact on geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) in these respective sectors. Some of the ionospheric observations are also planned to be compared with the simulated output from the SAMI2/3-D and WACCM-X models by fusing dynamically varying equatorial ExB drift conditions. Finally, the main results of the entire plan can be expanded to develop a future space weather forecasting framework, which will be highly useful for various modern technological systems in the current era of increasing human space activity and Brazilian footprints in this context.