Investigating the 17 March 2013 Geomagnetic Storm Impacts on the Wholly Coupled Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere System-Of-Systems

In this study, we investigate the impacts of the 17 March 2013 strong geomagnetic storm on the wholly coupled Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere system-of-systems. Obtained from multipoint observations, our new results show (1) the solar-wind Alfven waves propagating antisunward in the sheath region and (2) oscillating solar wind interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and electric (E) field (IEF EY) that powered (3) rigorous dayside and nightside flux transfer events (FTEs) when (4) the nightside-reconnection-related short circuiting led to fast-time Subauroral Ion Drifts (SAID) and Subauroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) E field development across the inner-magnetosphere plasmapause where the solar-wind Alfven waves (4) transitioned into kinetic Alfven waves (5) fueling the hot zone. Also, the antisunward solar-wind Alfven waves (6) drove enhanced large-scale region-1 field-aligned currents creating (7) undershielding conditions (8) allowing the dawn-to-dusk convection E field's earthward penetration, and (9) generated increased solar-wind kinetic energy, which became deposited (10) to the ionosphere increasing the ionospheric electron temperature (by the downward flowing suprathermal electron fluxes) and (11) to the thermosphere oscillating the neutral winds and increasing the neutral temperature, and finally leading to (12) the development of bright stable auroral red (SAR) arcs in (13) the enhanced SAID/SAPS flow channels (FCs) developed during FTEs, (14) demonstrated with FC-2 and FC-3 events, in the enhanced polar convection that (15) the Rice Convection Model could reproduce. Finally, we conclude the antisunward-propagating large-amplitude solar-wind Alfven waves' ultimate significant role in creating the favorable conditions for the various phenomena documented with the new observational results (1-14). We investigate the wholly coupled Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere (SW-M-I-T) system-of-systems operational during the 17 March 2013 strong geomagnetic storm. Results show the development of two significant phenomena in the coupled SW-M system: (a) the region 1 field-aligned currents and (b) the antisunward solar-wind Alfven waves. While (a) created undershielding conditions allowing the dawn-to-dusk electric field (Edd) earthward propagation, (b) drove (B field, E field, wind) oscillations and generated kinetic energy (up to similar to 400 TW) that became deposited (up to similar to 5 TW) into the magnetosphere efficiently (up to similar to 2.5%). In the coupled M-I system, the kinetic energy drove reconnection events while the Edd convected the plasma in a two-cell pattern. During nightside reconnection, the earthward injected ring current (RC) protons led to the development of the hot zone and conjugate large-scale E fields near/across the plasmapause, while the downward heat flux channeled into the ionosphere elevated the electron temperature (Te). In the coupled I-T system, the elevated Te increased the thermospheric neutral temperature (Tn) and both (Te and Tn) ignited the stable auroral red arc while the thermospheric neutral winds became oscillatory because of the antisunward solar-wind Alfven waves that acted as the ultimate driver of the wholly coupled SW-M-I-T system-of-systems operational. Solar-wind Alfven waves led to SAID/SAPS development via reconnection and transitioned into kinetic Alfven waves fueling the hot zone Enhanced R1 FACs led to undershielding permitting the dawn-to-dusk convection E field's earthward penetration (to L approximate to 6 RE) on the nightside Oscillating thermospheric neutral winds and neutral temperature increase led to the development of bright SAR arcs