A survey of magnetopause FTEs and associated flow bursts in the polar ionosphere

Using the Equator-S spacecraft and Super-DARN HF radars an extensive survey of bursty reconnection at the magnetopause and associated flows in the pol ar ionosphere has been conducted. Flux transfer event (FTE) signatures were identified in the Equator-S magnetometer data during periods of magnetopau se contact in January and February 1998. Assuming the effects of the FTEs p ropagate to the polar ionosphere as geomagnetic field-aligned-currents and associated Alfven-waves, appropriate field mappings to the fields-of-view o f SuperDARN radars were performed. The radars observed discrete ionospheric flow channel events (FCEs) of the type previously assumed to be related to pulse reconnection. Such FCEs were associated with similar to 80% of the F TEs and the two signatures are shown to be statistically associated with gr eater than 99% confidence. Exemplary case studies highlight the nature of t he ionospheric flows and their relation to the high latitude convection pat tern, the association methodology, and the problems caused by instrument li mitations.