Field-Aligned Currents during the Strong December 2023 Storm: Local Time and Hemispheric Differences

Abstract

This study investigates field-aligned currents (FACs) during strong magnetic storms in December 2023, analyzing variations in different local times and in the Northern (NH) and Southern Hemispheres (SH). Peak FAC densities were approximately 7.8 times higher than nominal values, with the most equatorward FACs reaching −52° magnetic latitude (MLat). In the summer hemisphere, the daytime FACs were stronger than the nighttime FACs, with the daytime westward Polar Electrojet (PEJ) surpassing nighttime levels. In the winter hemisphere, the nighttime FACs and westward PEJ were stronger than daytime. Generally, the FACs and westward PEJ were stronger in the SH than in the NH across most local time sectors, attributed to greater solar illumination. The NH pre-midnight currents were stronger than for the SH, indicating enhanced substorm currents during winter nights. The nighttime FACs occurred at lower MLat than daytime, with pre-noon FACs at a higher MLat than post-noon. The NH FACs were positioned more equatorward than their SH counterparts. In the NH, the mean FACs correlated most strongly with the merging electric field (Em) at pre-noon, post-noon, and post-midnight and with the SMU (SuperMAG Electrojet Upper Index) at pre-midnight. In the SH, the mean FACs correlated best with the SMU at pre-midnight/pre-noon, with the SML (SuperMAG Electrojet Lower Index) at post-midnight, and Em at post-noon. The mean MLat of the peak FACs show the strongest correlation with Em across most local times and hemispheres.