Collections and flows of charged particles in near-Earth space give rise to a wide range of large-scale electromagnetic processes. These charged particles provide efficient conductive pathways at and between different altitudes, allowing electric currents to flow between the collisional ionosphere and collisionless magnetosphere. In this way, the behaviour of the ionosphere and magnetosphere is dynamically modulated on a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. This impacts phenomena ranging from magnetospheric magnetic field topology, electric fields and currents to aurora, ionospheric conductivity, particle precipitation and neutral winds. Efforts to develop better descriptions of the physical processes of energy conversion and momentum transfer which underpin near-Earth current systems must take account of this collective interaction.

This session provides a forum for papers that aim to improve the description and understanding of near-Earth electromagnetic processes with a focus on the inter-connection between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere.

We discuss contributions based on data analysis, theory and model simulations which seek to improve the nowcasting, forecasting or hindcasting of these phenomena. In particular, we are keen to foster discussion of the present limiting factors in our ability to resolve the physics underlying magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction in addition to specific magnetospheric or ionospheric phenomena. To this end, we welcome comparison between numerical and empirical models, furthermore comparison between numerical models and ground-based and spacecraft observations. Studies which consolidate and compare multiple data sources from different regions of near-Earth space are particularly welcome.