scholarly journals Meridional thermospheric neutral wind at high latitude over a full solar cycle

1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1400-1409 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Witasse ◽  
J. Lilensten ◽  
C. Lathuillere ◽  
B. Pibaret

Abstract. EISCAT radar experiments over a full solar cycle between January 1984 and March 1995 have been used to construct meridional neutral wind patterns in the ionospheric F region. For locally geomagnetically quiet periods the neutral winds have been binned according to season, solar activity, and universal time. The diurnal and seasonal behaviors and the effect of the solar flux are described. An empirical model of the meridional neutral wind for the high latitudes at eight altitudes in the ionospheric F region over a full solar cycle is presented. Results are compared with other recent empirical models.Key words. Auroral ionosphere · Thermospheric dynamics · EISCAT

2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 1651-1656
Author(s):  
J. Lilensten ◽  
P. O. Amblard

Abstract. We examine the oscillations of the meridional neutral wind in the F region as seen by the EISCAT radar. We propose an interpretation in term of eddies (tourbillons) of typical size of a few tens to a few hundreds of kilometers. The observed rotation velocity is a few hundreds of meters per second. We suggest that the tourbillons are a common feature of thermospheric movements. We propose an optical experiment to check the validity of this assumption.Key words: Atmospheric composition and structure (thermosphere · composition and chemistry) · Ionosphere (ionosphere · atmosphere interactions)


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-87
Author(s):  
E.V. Maiewski ◽  
R.A. Kislov ◽  
H.V. Malova ◽  
O.V. Khabarova ◽  
V.Yu. Popov ◽  
...  

A stationary axisymmetric MHD model of the solar wind has been constructed, which allows us to study the spatial distribution of the magnetic field and plasma characteristics at radial distances from 20 to 400 radii of the Sun at almost all heliolatitudes. The model takes into account the changes in the magnetic field of the Sun during a quarter of the solar cycle, when the dominant dipole magnetic field is replaced by a quadrupole. Selfconsistent solutions for the magnetic and velocity fields, plasma concentration and current density of the solar wind depending on the phase of the solar cycle are obtained. It is shown that during the domination of the dipole magnetic component in the solar wind heliospheric current sheet (HCS) is located in the equatorial plane, which is a part of the system of radial and transverse currents, symmetrical in the northern and southern hemispheres. As the relative contribution of the quadrupole component to the total magnetic field increases, the shape of the HCS becomes conical; the angle of the cone gradually decreases, so that the current sheet moves entirely to one of the hemispheres. At the same time, at high latitudes of the opposite hemisphere, a second conical HCS arises, the angle of which increases. When the quadrupole field becomes dominant (at maximum solar activity), both HCS lie on conical surfaces inclined at an angle of 35 degrees to the equator. The model describes the transition from the fast solar wind at high latitudes to the slow solar wind at low latitudes: a relatively gentle transition in the period of low solar activity gives way to more drastic when high solar activity. The model also predicts an increase in the steepness of the profiles of the main characteristics of the solar wind with an increase in the radial distance from the Sun. Comparison of the obtained dependences with the available observational data is discussed.


1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 633-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. B. Ramesh ◽  
J. H. Sastri

Abstract. Measurements of the changes in phase path of F-region reflections at normal incidence at Kodaikanal (77° 28'E, 10° 14'N, dip 3°N) from February 1991 to February 1993 are used to determine the variation of the equatorial evening F-region vertical drifts (V z) with season, solar and magnetic activity. It is found that on average, at Kodaikanal, the post-sunset peak in Vz(Vzp) is higher in equinox and local winter months than in local summer. The day-to-day variability in V zp is highest in summer and lowest in winter. This seasonal trend persists even on magnetically quiet days (Ap \\leq14). Vzp is found to increase with 10.7 cm solar flux in all three seasons but tends to saturate for large flux values (>230 units) during local summer and winter months. Magnetic activity [represented by Ap as well as the time-weighted accumulations of a p and ap (τ)] does not seem to have any statistically significant effect on Vzp , except during equinoctial months of moderate solar activity, when Vzp decreases as magnetic activity increases.


2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1145-1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Cierpka ◽  
M. J. Kosch ◽  
M. Rietveld ◽  
K. Schlegel ◽  
T. Hagfors

Abstract. Since the auroral ionosphere provides an important energy sink for the magnetosphere, ionosphere-thermosphere coupling must be investigated when considering the energy budget of the ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling. We present the first Scandinavian ground-based study of high-latitude F-region ion-neutral frictional heating where ion velocity and temperature are measured by the EISCAT incoherent scatter radar as well as neutral wind and temperature being measured simultaneously by a Fabry-Perot interferometer. A geomagnetically active period (Kp = 7– – 5–) and quiet period (Kp = 0+ – 0) were studied. Neglecting the neutral wind can result in errors of frictional heating estimates of 60% or more in the F-layer. About 96% of the local ion temperature enhancement over the neutral temperature is accounted for by ion-neutral frictional heating.Key words: Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; ionosphere-atmosphere interactions)


2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1154-1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Oyama ◽  
S. Nozawa ◽  
S. C. Buchert ◽  
M. Ishii ◽  
S. Watari ◽  
...  

Abstract. The field-aligned neutral oscillations in the F-region (altitudes between 165 and 275 km) were compared using data obtained simultaneously with two independent instruments: the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) UHF radar and a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). During the night of February 8, 1997, simultaneous observations with these instruments were conducted at Tromsø, Norway. Theoretically, the field-aligned neutral wind velocity can be obtained from the field-aligned ion velocity and by diffusion and ambipolar diffusion velocities. We thus derived field-aligned neutral wind velocities from the plasma velocities in EISCAT radar data. They were compared with those observed with the FPI (λ=630.0 nm), which are assumed to be weighted height averages of the actual neutral wind. The weighting function is the normalized height dependent emission rate. We used two model weighting functions to derive the neutral wind from EISCAT data. One was that the neutral wind velocity observed with the FPI is velocity integrated over the entire emission layer and multiplied by the theoretical normalized emission rate. The other was that the neutral wind velocity observed with the FPI corresponds to the velocity only around an altitude where the emission rate has a peak. Differences between the two methods were identified, but not completely clarified. However, the neutral wind velocities from both instruments had peak-to-peak correspondences at oscillation periods of about 10–40 min, shorter than that for the momentum transfer from ions to neutrals, but longer than from neutrals to ions. The synchronizing motions in the neutral wind velocities suggest that the momentum transfer from neutrals to ions was thought to be dominant for the observed field-aligned oscillations rather than the transfer from ions to neutrals. It is concluded that during the observation, the plasma oscillations observed with the EISCAT radar at different altitudes in the F-region are thought to be due to the motion of neutrals.Key words: Ionosphere (Ionosphere–atmosphere interactions) – Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (thermospheric dynamics; waves and tides)


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 509-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Wang ◽  
Kedeng Zhang ◽  
Zhichao Zheng ◽  
Aaron James Ridley

Abstract. The temporal and spatial variations in thermospheric neutral winds at an altitude of 400 km in response to subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) are investigated using global ionosphere and thermosphere model simulations under the southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) condition. During SAPS periods the westward neutral winds in the subauroral latitudes are greatly strengthened at dusk. This is due to the ion drag effect, through which SAPS can accelerate neutral winds in the westward direction. The new findings are that for SAPS commencing at different universal times, the strongest westward neutral winds exhibit large variations in amplitudes. The ion drag and Joule heating effects are dependent on the solar illumination, which exhibit UT variations due to the displacement of the geomagnetic and geographic poles. With more sunlight, stronger westward neutral winds can be generated, and the center of these neutral winds shifts to a later magnetic local time than neutral winds with less solar illumination. In the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, the disturbance neutral wind reaches a maximum at 18:00 and 04:00 UT, and a minimum at 04:00 and 16:00 UT, respectively. There is a good correlation between the neutral wind velocity and cos0.5(SZA) (solar zenith angle). The reduction in the electron density and enhancement in the air mass density at an altitude of 400 km are strongest when the maximum solar illumination collocates with the SAPS. The correlation between the neutral wind velocity and cos0.5(SZA) is also good during the northward IMF period. The effect of a sine-wave oscillation of SAPS on the neutral wind also exhibits UT variations in association with the solar illumination.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. A27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnendu Sekhar Paul ◽  
Haris Haralambous ◽  
Christina Oikonomou ◽  
Ashik Paul ◽  
Anna Belehaki ◽  
...  

Spread F is an ionospheric phenomenon which has been reported and analyzed extensively over equatorial regions on the basis of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability. It has also been investigated over midlatitude regions, mostly over the Southern Hemisphere with its generation attributed to the Perkins instability mechanism. Over midlatitudes it has also been correlated with geomagnetic storms through the excitation of travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) and subsequent F region uplifts. The present study deals with the occurrence rate of nighttime spread F events and their diurnal, seasonal and solar cycle variation observed over three stations in the European longitude sector namely Nicosia (geographic Lat: 35.29 °N, Long: 33.38 °E geographic: geomagnetic Lat: 29.38 °N), Athens (geographic Lat: 37.98 °N, Long: 23.73 °E geographic: geomagnetic Lat: 34.61 °N) and Pruhonice (geographic Lat: 50.05 °N, Long: 14.41 °E geographic: geomagnetic Lat: 47.7 °N) during 2009, 2015 and 2016 encompassing periods of low, medium and high solar activity, respectively. The latitudinal and longitudinal variation of spread F occurrence was examined by considering different instability triggering mechanisms and precursors which past literature identified as critical to the generation of spread F events. The main findings of this investigation is an inverse solar cycle and annual temporal dependence of the spread F occurrence rate and a different dominant spread F type between low and high European midlatitudes.


1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1392-1399 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. F. Arnold ◽  
T. B. Jones ◽  
T. R. Robinson ◽  
A. J. Stocker ◽  
J. A. Davies

Abstract. Quasi-periodic fluctuations in the returned ground-scatter power from the SuperDARN HF radars have been linked to the passage of medium-scale gravity waves. We have applied a technique that extracts the first radar range returns from the F-region to study the spatial extent and characteristics of these waves in the CUTLASS field-of-view. Some ray tracing was carried out to test the applicability of this method. The EISCAT radar facility at Tromsø is well within the CUTLASS field-of-view for these waves and provides a unique opportunity to assess independently the ability of the HF radars to derive gravity wave information. Results from 1st March, 1995, where the EISCAT UHF radar was operating in its CP-1 mode, demonstrate that the radars were in good agreement, especially if one selects the electron density variations measured by EISCAT at around 235 km. CUTLASS and EISCAT gravity wave observations complement each other; the former extends the spatial field of view considerably, whilst the latter provides detailed vertical information about a range of ionospheric parameters.Key words. Ionosphere (ionosphere – atmosphere interactions) · Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (thermospheric dynamics) · Radio science (ionospheric propagations)


1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 730-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. N. Pathak ◽  
R. D. Jivrajani ◽  
H. P. Joshi ◽  
K. N. Iyer

Abstract. The characteristics of ionospheric scintillations at Rajkot in the equatorial anomaly crest region in India are described for the years 1987–1991 by monitoring the 244-MHz transmission from the satellite FLEETSAT. This period covers the ascending phase of solar cycle 22. Scintillations occur predominantly in the pre-midnight period during equinoxes and winter seasons and in the post-midnight period during summer season. During equinoxes and winter, scintillation occurrence increases with solar activity, whilst in summer it is found to decrease with solar activity. Statistically, scintillation occurrence is suppressed by magnetic activity. The characteristics observed during winter and equinoxes are similar to those seen at the equatorial station, Trivandrum. This, coupled with the nature of the post-sunset equatorial F-region drift and h'F variations, supports the view that at the anomaly crest station, scintillations are of equatorial origin during equinox and winter, whilst in summer they may be of mid-latitude type. The variations in scintillation intensity (in dB) with season and solar activity are also reported.


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