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Abstract:
The dynamical behaviour of the magnetosphere
is known to be a sensitive indicator for the response of the
system to solar wind coupling. Since the solar activity commonly
displays very interesting non-stationary and multiscale
dynamics, the magnetospheric response also exhibits
a high degree of dynamical complexity associated with fundamentally
different characteristics during periods of quiescence
and magnetic storms. The resulting temporal complexity
profile has been explored using several approaches from
applied statistics, dynamical systems theory and statistical
mechanics. Here, we propose an alternative way of looking
at time-varying dynamical complexity of nonlinear geophysical
time series utilising subtle but significant changes in the
linear autocorrelation structure of the recorded data. Our approach
is demonstrated to sensitively trace the dynamic signatures
associated with intense magnetic storms, and to display
reasonable skills in distinguishing between quiescence and storm periods. The potentials and methodological limitations of this new viewpoint are discussed in some detail.
