Story-line

[1] People use precipitating electrons < 30 keV to calculate ionospheric conductance estimates. But energetic precipitation >30 keV is prevalent during substorms and other magnetically active periods. The contribution of this population to the total conductance might be substantial.

[2] Energetic precipitation > 30 keV cause D-region conductivity enhancement, that is difficult to estimate from satellite measurements of precipitation - due to complex D-region chemistry. This we can circumvent using measurements of ionization directly from ISRs (?)

• [ ] [Talk to Roger about this.]

[3] We estimate the contribution of D-region conductance to total ionospheric conductance, during different substorm and storm phases.

Isolated, single-onset, multi-onset, compound substorms, during storm and no-storm times.

Average conductivity profile for each of these phases

Solar-wind driving and the corresponding effect on the ionosphere conductance

[4] Guess of what we will find:

Conductance enhancement is maximum during expansion phase, with majority of the contribution from D-region right at the onset. 15-60% to total conductance.

Growth phase conductance contribution is also non-trivial.

ISR conductance estimate more reliable than precipitation estimate.

Conductance increases linearly with AL index... and non-linearly with driving(?)

[5] Conclusion

D-region conductance is important during storm and substorm times.

Questions

1. How does D-region conductance vary with substorm and storm phases?
   1. Growth phase/ Expansion phase/ Recovery phase
   2. Isolated single onset/ Isolated multi onset/ compound (non isolated)
   3. Storm time/ non-storm time
2. What is the MLT distribution of conductance vs. AL index through all time.
   1. Is the conductance variation across AL linear (or non-linear)
   2. How can we connect this to STORM and SMILE missions?
3. Does conductance contribution increase during growth phase substantially? (Especially during the absorption arc?)

Figures