Geomagnetic Control of Equatorial Plasma Bubble Development

Attempts have been made repeatedly to investigate the effect of the geomagnetic activity on the equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) generation. At the moment, it is generally accepted that the geomagnetic activity tends to suppress the EPB generation and evolution in the pre-midnight sector. As for the post-midnight sector, it is believed that the EPB occurrence probability will increase after midnight as the geomagnetic activity increases. Moreover, the growth rates of the EPB occurrence probability will strongly depend on the solar activity: at the solar activity minimum, they will be the most significant. A sufficient amount of the observations is required to confirm these ideas. For this purpose, the EPB observations obtained on board the ISS-b satellite (~972–1220 km, 1978–1979) in the pre- and post-midnight sectors are best suited. The data were considered in two latitudinal regions: the equatorial/low-latitude (±20°) and mid-latitude ±(20°–52°) regions. The LT- and Kp-variations of the EPB occurrence probability were calculated for both groups. (1) It was revealed that the occurrence probability maximum of the EPBs recorded at the equator and low latitudes is observed in the premidnight sector. The EPB occurrence probability decreases with increasing the Kp-index with a delay of 3 and 9 h before the EPB detection. (2) However, the occurrence probability maximum of the EPBs recorded at the mid-latitudes occurs in the post-midnight sector. Their occurrence probability increases slightly with the increase of the Kp-index taken 9 h before the EPB detection. Thus, the idea of the ionospheric disturbance dynamo (IDD) influence on the post-midnight EPB generation has been confirmed. The IDD mechanism “switched on” after some hours of the enhanced geomagnetic activity and favors the generation. However, its influence is weakened during the years of increased solar activity.