Numerical modeling of the polar F region ionosphere taking into account the solar wind conditions

The numerical model predicts the 3-D distribution of electron density over the high-latitude F region ionosphere in the altitudes between 130 and 600 km. The distinctive feature of the model is an analytical representation of the electric potential distribution over the high-latitude ionospheric shell which continuously evolving with the solar wind parameters, season and universal time. In this approach the convection electric field is directly related to the field-aligned currents of magnetospheric origin which are controlled by the solar wind. The time-dependent ion continuity and momentum equations are solved as a function of altitude within a convecting and corotating plasma flux tube. Modeling results show that the polar ionosphere F region responds strongly to the change in the IMF polarity and the solar zenith angle. Large-scale ionospheric irregularities are reproduced in details. (C) 2015 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.