Super Dual Auroral Radar Network observations of ionospheric multicell convection during northward interplanetary magnetic field

There have been a number of reports on the ionospheric convection during no rthward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Multicell convection patterns with two reverse cells within the polar cap have been derived from statisti cal magnetometer data and individual satellite passes over the high-latitud e ionosphere. The reverse convection cells are also reproduced with some da ta assimilation techniques. However, there have been few direct observation s of complete reverse cells. In this paper, we present HF radar observation s of ionospheric convection with two reverse cells in the winter hemisphere during northward IMF. The prenoon reverse cell is focused around 1000 magn etic local time (MLT) near 82 degrees magnetic latitude; the postnoon rever se cell is focused around 1400 MLT near 82 degrees magnetic latitude. The r everse convection cells are stable as long as the IMF is stable. The focus location of the reverse cells does not show noticeable change when the IMF B-y component has different signs. The ionospheric convection at lower lati tudes with the normal two-cell rotational sense for southward IMF is also o bserved. In particular, the clockwise convection cell is focused around 180 0 MLT near 77 degrees magnetic latitude. The reversal boundary of the low-l atitude convection during northward IMF appears at around 77 degrees-78 deg rees magnetic latitude in both the morning and afternoon sectors. It is obs erved that the reverse cells take similar to 10 min to form after a northwa rd turning of the IMF. Our observations show that the four-cell convection does exist during strongly northward IMF.