Evidence for presence of a global quasi-resonant mode of oscillations during high-intensity long-duration continuous AE activity (HILDCAA) events

Abstract

Abstract The responses of two High-Intensity Long-Duration Continuous AE Activity (HILDCAA) events are investigated using solar wind observations at L1, magnetospheric measurements at geosynchronous orbit, and changes in the global ionosphere. This study provides evidence of the existence of quasi-periodic oscillations (1.5–2 h) in the ionospheric electric field over low latitudes, total electron content at high latitudes, the magnetic field over the globe, energetic electron flux and magnetic field at geosynchronous orbit, geomagnetic indices (SYM-H, AE, and PC) and the Y-component of the interplanetary electric field (IEFy) during the HILDCAA events at all local times. Based on detailed wavelet and cross-spectrum analyses, it is shown that the quasi-periodic oscillation of 1.5–2 h in IEFy is the most effective one that controls the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling process during the HILDCAA events for several days. Therefore, this investigation for the first time, shows that the HILDCAA event affects the global magnetosphere–ionosphere system with a “quasi-resonant” mode of oscillation. Graphical Abstract