Solar-terrestrial disturbances of June-September 1982, 4

Global equivalent-current systems for geomagnetic variations observed at various ground stations are described on the northern polar map at 1630 UT, July 13 just after the SC, at 2330 UT, July 13 in an initial part of the main phase and at 0030 UT, July 14 in a well-developed part of the main phase during the geomagnetic storm of July 13-14, 1982. The equivalent current system just after the SC has two polar current vortices which are similar to those of the geomagnetically quiet equivalent -current system, Ssub(q)sup(p) in the sunlit polar region and the former current density is about ten times the latter. The equivalent current system in an initial part of the geomagnetic-storm main phase is similar to the DP-2 current system, and it seems to be caused by an intensified magnetospheric plasma-convection due to an enhancement of the large scale westward cross-tail electric field. The equivalent current system in a well-developed part of the storm main phase consists of a global current vortex which extends to mid-latitudes and it has strong westward currents in the dayside active region. The geomagnetically active region in the dayside mid-latitudes coincides approximately with the auroral-type hiss region observed by the ISIS-2 during the storm main-phase of July 14, 1982. The storm-time ionospheric ionization produced by precipitating electrons from an interaction between the plasmasphere and well-developed ring-current particles seems to contribute considerably to the change in the equivalent current system from two current vortices of the DP-2 type to one current vortex. This change in equivalent current system corresponds apparently to an expansion of the auroral zone towards mid-latitudes during the main phase of geomagnetic storm. (author)