The proposed program of research work will address the Swarm Mission Objective “to study
the Sun's influence on the Earth system” and will address and contribute to both of the two
subsidiary objectives related to this goal by:
- "Analysing electric currents in the magnetosphere and ionosphere;
- Understanding the impact of solar wind on the dynamics of the upper atmosphere including ionosphere";
Specifically, we propose to undertake an innovative program of research work focused on the
role of high-frequency (0.1-5Hz) ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves in magnetosphere-ionosphere
coupling. This research will exploit the unique capabilities of the Swarm data set, including
multi-point capabilities, and significantly will also utilize complementary data from the CARISMA
magnetometer array to be provided by the proponents, to investigate the impacts of both
electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves and waves trapped in the ionospheric Alfven
resonator (IAR) on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Significantly, in addition to exploiting
the unique nature of this combined data set to deliver innovative new scientific discoveries, as
well as highlighting a potential new focus for future Swarm mission scientific research, the
research will also investigate the impacts of these waves on the core field-aligned current data
product being delivered using data from the Swarm mission. We will also investigate concepts
for a potential new Swarm data product which addresses the challenges associated with the
impacts of spatio-temporal ambiguity (including arising from ULF waves) of magnetic structures
observed in the frame of the Swarm satellites. This will concept be based on the outcomes of our
research, addressing directly the potential impacts of violation of the stationarity assumption
implicit when deriving both single and dual satellite Swarm field-aligned current data products
from the application of Ampere's Law.