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arXiv · 2504.07714

Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in Ionospheric TEC Synchronized with Solar Flare EUV Emission

Aisling N. O'Hare·Susanna Bekker·Laura A. Hayes·Ryan O. Milligan
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Abstract

The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray radiation emitted during solar flares has been shown to significantly increase the electron density of the Earth's ionosphere. During flares, quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in X-ray flux originating in the corona have previously been linked to subsequent pulsations in the Earth's ionospheric D-region. Similar pulsations have been detected in chromospheric EUV emission, although their impact on the Earth's ionosphere has not previously been investigated. Here, for the first time, synchronous pulsations were detected in solar EUV emission and ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements. Using wavelet and periodogram analysis, we detect QPPs with approximately 85 second periods in chromospheric EUV emission lines (He II 304 Å, C III 977 Å and H I 972 Å) from the Solar Dynamics Observatory Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (SDO/EVE) during the impulsive phase of an X5.4 flare on March 7, 2012. These lines contribute to ionization in the ionospheric E- and F-regions, resulting in subsequent variations of electron density with the same periodicity, which was detected in TEC measurements. This work demonstrates that the Earth's ionosphere is responsive to fine-scale fluctuations in EUV emission during flares, with a time delay of approximately 30 seconds found. These findings may have applications in atmospheric modelling and solar-terrestrial studies, including the calculation of ionospheric recombination rates.

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Aisling N. O'Hare, Susanna Bekker, Laura A. Hayes, Ryan O. Milligan. 2025-04-10. Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in Ionospheric TEC Synchronized with Solar Flare EUV Emission. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ja033493

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