The investigators will create a solar wind parameterized global auroral conductance model based on a series of multi-year, multi-season, collaborative experiments between the POLAR satellite ultraviolet imager and the Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar. Auroral conductance is a critically underdetermined parameter that is central to a broader understanding of the structure of magnetospherically imposed currents, convection potential, and energy deposition in the high latitude ionosphere. The aim is to merge incoherent scatter radar conductance measurements with conductance estimates from ultraviolet images in a single model that takes advantage of the complementary information available from the two techniques. Modern electrodynamics models of the global ionosphere require an accurate specification of auroral energy deposition and the associated electrical conductance at high latitudes. This study addresses the weakness of current conductance models by creating a model tied to properties of the solar wind. The final output of the study will be solar wind parameterized global conductance maps at the best possible spatial resolution.
