The electrodynamical couplings between the thermosphere, the ionosphere, and the magnetosphere

The magnetosphere is strongly coupled to the ionosphere with field aligned currents flowing from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere, the precipitation of magnetospheric electrons and the mapping of the electric field along the equipotential magnetic field lines connnecting these two regions. On the other hand, the dynamics of the thermosphere and the ionosphere are strongly related due to the ionospheric dynamo and the ion drag. The importance of these couplings is evaluated with the CETP and the NCAR models which simulate respectively the dynamics of the magnetosphere and the ionosphere, and the dynamics of the thermosphere and the ionosphere.