ANALYSIS OF THE IONOSPHERIC CROSS POLAR-CAP POTENTIAL DROP USING DMSPDATA DURING THE NATIONAL SPACE WEATHER PROGRAM STUDY PERIOD

During the National Space Weather Program (NSWP) event study period of November 2-11, 1993 there were three operational DMSP meteorological satellites (F8, F10, and F11) in orbit, each carrying the Special Sens or for Ions, Electrons, and Scintillation (SSIES) plasma instrument pa ckage. Ion flow data from these instruments are used to determine the electrostatic potential drop across both the northern and southern pol ar caps. The magnitude and distribution of the potential are used to c haracterize the convection patterns present in the polar ionospheres. The results from all three satellites are presented to show an overall observational history of the potential drop and the convection patter n during the study period. These observational parameters provide cruc ial inputs and checks to several ionospheric and magnetospheric models being used in this study. Evidence is presented of an unambiguous dif ference in the cross polar cap potential drop between the two hemisphe res for an extended period of time.