A new quantitative model of the global shape of the neutral sheet in the Earth's magnetosphere is developed, parameterized by the dipole tilt, solar wind pressure, and IMF By and Bz. The model is based on data from the Polar, Cluster, Geotail, and Themis satellites taken in 1995-2013. The paper quantifies and further explains our earlier finding of the bowl-shaped deformation of the neutral sheet due to the Earth's dipole tilt (Tsyganenko and Andreeva, GRL, v.41(4), 2014).

Magnetic structures are important for studies of solar atmospheric heating. Combining computer simulations with observations of the Sun provides us with information not obtainable from pure observation. We use this to suggest and interpret the physical nature of a particular structure which is permeated by a continuous outflow of plasma. It is shown that the structure consists of multiple strands which undergo periodic heating and cooling.

In this study we performed a wavelet and Lomb-Scargle analysis of the geomagnetic activity K-index at Lerwick (LER), Hermanus (HER) and Canberra (CNB) for the period between 1960 and 2010, overlapping with solar cycles 20 to 23. Daily mean K indices are used to identify how several harmonics of the 27.0-day recurrent period change during each solar cycle when comparing high- and mid-latitude geomagnetic activity, applying a 95% confidence level.

Magnetotail reconnection and E×B leads to dispersion in polar rain electrons. APL-OPM successfully models the polar rain energy-latitude dispersion. The magnetic field line open-closed boundary is located poleward of the auroral oval.

First results from the three-fluid 3D model of the solar corona are reported. The model extends previous 2.5D three-fluid studies, and includes electron, protons, and oxygen ions (O5+) as coupled fluids in a tilted dipole solar magnetic field configuration. The model demonstrates the variation in abundances of the oxygen ions relative to protons in a coronal streamer belt, thus identifying the sources of the slow solar wind and helping in the interpretation of past spectroscopic observations.

We present validation results covering 184 days of SIWV (slant-integrated water vapor) observed by a ground-based GPS receiver and a WVR (water vapor radiometer). SIWV data from GPS and WVR generally show good agreement, and the relation between their differences and possible influential factors are analyzed. The differences in SIWV show a relative elevation dependence. Besides the elevation, dependencies between the atmospheric humidity conditions, temperature and differences in SIWV are found.

Magnetospheric substorms are one of the most important phenomena occurring in planetary magnetotails, dynamically reconfiguring the near- planet space environment. They encompass various fundamental processes of plasma acceleration and transport in the magnetosphere/ionosphere. The key features of the paper are a new magnetospheric substorm model, a new explanation about the origin of dipolarization fronts (DFs), and a new explanation for energetic ion acceleration/injection in front of DFs.

Using a new air-shower simulation driven by the proton flux data obtained from GOES satellites, we show the possibility of significant enhancement of the effective dose rate of up to 4.5 µSv/hr at a conventional flight altitude of 12 km during the largest solar proton event that did not cause a ground-level enhancement. As a result, a new GOES-driven model is proposed to give an estimate of the contribution from the isotropic component of the radiation dose in the stratosphere.

Rotational discontinuities (RDs) in plasma allow a magnetic connection between different plasma regimes. One of their defining relations describes a balance between changes in plasma mass density and pressure anisotropy. The paper uses the high-time-resolution data from the Cluster satellites to directly test that relation at the terrestrial magnetopause, when standard analysis predicts that this boundary behaves like an RD. The experimental evidence shows that the said relation is not fulfilled

Variations of UHF-band scintillation occurrence with latitude, time and season over the low-latitude region of China are presented. The ratio of the mean foF2 at 20:00LT between two equinoxes, which could act as a proxy of the equinoctial asymmetry in the occurrences of scintillation, is proportional to the ratio between the maximum scintillation occurrence in the autumn equinox and in the vernal equinox. The empirical climatological model of scintillation occurrence probability was validated.

The article presents a summary of the main findings of the systematic study of acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) in the polar thermosphere. This study was based on the in situ measurements made by the Dynamics Explorer 2 spacecraft. It was found out that AGWs in the polar thermosphere are observed within a narrow frequency band and with horizontal wavelengths about 500-600km. The connection between the directions of motion of AGW and polar wind circulation was detected.

Total electron content (TEC) between low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites can be used to constrain three-dimensional morphology of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs). TEC gradient observed along the LEO track is strongest when the corresponding GNSS satellite is located equatorward and westward of the LEO satellite. This anisotropy supports the idea that EPBs have three-dimensional shell structures.