The
main overarching science question in WG3 is:
"How
does the TEC respond to geomagnetic storms, and what are the
mechanisms
that control that response."
There
are a series of sub-questions suggested to focus the discussion:
1.
What happens in the first 60 minutes of a storm?
- penetration
electric fields
- expansion of the
convection pattern
- start of heating and momentum dissipation,
and upwelling at high latitudes
- start of wave propagation
- start of neutral composition changes
2.
Does the storm-enhanced density (SED) feature at midlatitude
develop
from
the sub-auroral polarization stream (SAPS), or are
there other processes
involved?
3.
How does the neutral wind impact the development of the storm, and
what
is the relative importance between penetration and dynamo electric fields in
driving
the response?
4.
How is the plasma "bulge" created, or transported, to high
mid-latitude
(50 magnetic latitude). (It is this bulge of plasma that apparently is transported
by the SAPS to produce a SED)
5.
Are models able to follow the response and recovery of O/N2 over the
duration
of the storm, and how strong is its control of the ionospheric
response.
6.
What causes the strong longitude dependence in the TEC response, and
how
does the UT time sequence of the storm affect the different longitude sectors.