Effects of E-region electric fields on F-region parameters at the magnetic equator

1973 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 2227-2232 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.Sen Gupta ◽  
B.V.Krishna Murthy
2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 1977-1985 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Sridharan ◽  
C. V. Devasia ◽  
N. Jyoti ◽  
Diwakar Tiwari ◽  
K. S. Viswanathan ◽  
...  

Abstract. The effects on the electrodynamics of the equatorial E- and F-regions of the ionosphere, due to the occurrence of the solar eclipse during sunset hours on 11 August 1999, were investigated in a unique observational campaign involving ground based ionosondes, VHF and HF radars from the equatorial location of Trivandrum (8.5° N; 77° E; dip lat. 0.5° N), India. The study revealed the nature of changes brought about by the eclipse in the evening time E- and F-regions in terms of (i) the sudden intensification of a weak blanketing ES-layer and the associated large enhancement of the VHF backscattered returns, (ii) significant increase in h' F immediately following the eclipse and (iii) distinctly different spatial and temporal structures in the spread-F irregularity drift velocities as observed by the HF radar. The significantly large enhancement of the backscattered returns from the E-region coincident with the onset of the eclipse is attributed to the generation of steep electron density gradients associated with the blanketing ES , possibly triggered by the eclipse phenomena. The increase in F-region base height immediately after the eclipse is explained as due to the reduction in the conductivity of the conjugate E-region in the path of totality connected to the F-region over the equator along the magnetic field lines, and this, with the peculiar local and regional conditions, seems to have reduced the E-region loading of the F-region dynamo, resulting in a larger post sunset F-region height (h' F) rise. These aspects of E-and F-region behaviour on the eclipse day are discussed in relation to those observed on the control day.Key words. Ionosphere (electric fields and currents; equatorial ionosphere; ionospheric irregularities)


1992 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 655-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.Balachandran Nair ◽  
N. Balan ◽  
G.J. Bailey ◽  
P.B. Rao

1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 871-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Hari ◽  
B. V. Krishna Murthy

Abstract. Night-time F-region vertical electrodynamic drifts at the magnetic equatorial station, Trivandrum are obtained for a period of 2 years, 1989 and 1990 (corresponding to solar cycle maximum epoch), using ionosonde h'F data. The seasonal variation of the vertical drift is found to be associated with the longitudinal gradients of the thermospheric zonal wind. Further, the seasonal variation of the prereversal enhancement of the vertical drift is associated with the time difference between the sunset times of the conjugate E-regions (magnetic field line linked to F-region) which is indicative of the longitudinal gradients of the conductivity (of the E-region). The vertical drifts and the causative zonal electric fields at Trivandrum are compared with those at Jicamarca and F-region zonal electric field models. It is seen that the night-time downward drift (as also the causative westward electric field) at Jicamarca is greater than that at Trivandrum. The prereversal enhancement of the drift is greater at Jicamarca than at Trivandrum during the summer and the equinoxes, whereas during the winter the opposite is the case.


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 3145-3153 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. W. Reinisch ◽  
M. Abdu ◽  
I. Batista ◽  
G. S. Sales ◽  
G. Khmyrov ◽  
...  

Abstract. Directional ionogram and F-region drift observations were conducted at seven digisonde stations in South America during the COPEX campaign from October to December 2002. Five stations in Brazil, one in Argentina, and one in Peru, monitored the ionosphere across the continent to study the onset and development of F-region density depletions that cause equatorial spread F (ESF). New ionosonde techniques quantitatively describe the prereversal uplifting of the F layer at the magnetic equator and the eastward motion of the depletions over the stations. Three of the Brazilian stations were located along a field line with a 350-km apex over the equator to investigate the relation of the occurrence of ESF and the presence of sporadic E-layers at the two E-region intersections of the field line. No simple correlation was found.


2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 1837-1842 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Vyas ◽  
R. Pandey

Abstract. Ionospheric drifts measured at a low latitude station, Udaipur (Geomag. Lat. 14.5° N), in the night-time F-region and daytime E-region during solar flares have been studied. The night-time observations, which correspond to the F-region drifts, were carried out on five different nights. The daytime observation corresponding to the E-region drifts is only for one day. It is found that the apparent drift during the solar flare period is reduced considerably, in the daytime E-region as well as in the night-time F-region. The East-West and North-South components of the apparent drift speed are also similarly affected. For the daytime E-region drifts during a flare, increased ionization and subsequent reduction of reflection height is proposed to be the cause of reduced drift speeds. For the night-time F-region drifts, a reduced electric field at the F-region heights resulting from coupling of sunlit and dark hemispheres has been proposed to be the possible cause.Key words. Ionosphere (electric fields and currents; ionospheric disturbances)


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 299-302
Author(s):  
N. Balan ◽  
R. Balachandran Nair ◽  
G. Gopkumar ◽  
P.B. Rao

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 2081-2094 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-M. A. Noël ◽  
J.-P. St.-Maurice ◽  
P.-L. Blelly

Abstract. We show that heating by large amplitude E-region plasma waves at high latitudes can at times substantially enhance the electro-dynamical response of the ionosphere. This is made manifest through an increase in parallel current densities and parallel electric fields generated at the edge of arcs in the E and lower F-region of the ionosphere, in response to sharp cutoffs in precipitation with an otherwise uniform differential energy flux. The enhancement is rooted in a reduction in electron recombination that occurs in response to higher electron temperatures triggered by the generation of strong electric fields near the edge of the arc. The reduced recombination rate, in turn, leads to enhanced conductivity gradients near the edge of the arc, which, in turn, drives more intense parallel currents and stronger local electric fields. Keywords. Ionosphere (Electric fields and curents; Plasma temperature and density) – Space plasma physics (Numerical simulation studies)


2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-261
Author(s):  
M. Lester ◽  
J. A. Davies ◽  
T. K. Yeoman

Abstract. A preliminary analysis of Pc5, ULF wave activity observed with the IMAGE magnetometer array and the EISCAT UHF radar in the post midnight sector indicates that such waves can be caused by the modulation of the ionospheric conductivity as well as the wave electric field. An observed Pc5 pulsation is divided into three separate intervals based upon the EISCAT data. In the first and third, the Pc5 waves are observed only in the measured electron density between 90 and 112 km and maxima in the electron density at these altitudes are attributed to pulsed precipitation of electrons with energies up to 40 keV which result in the height integrated Hall conductivity being pulsed between 10 and 50 S. In the second interval, the Pc5 wave is observed in the F-region ion temperature, electron density and electron temperature but not in the D and E region electron densities. The analysis suggests that the wave during this interval is a coupled Alfven and compressional mode.Key words: Ionosphere (electric fields and currents) - Magnetospheric physics (magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction; MHD waves and instabilities)


1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klemens Hocke

Abstract. During the MLTCS (Mesosphere-Lower Thermosphere Coupling Study) campaign the EISCAT UHF radar was continuously operated over 7 days (30 July–5 August 1992) in the CP-1 mode. The long time series obtained of the fundamental ionospheric parameters field-aligned ion velocity (Vi), ion and electron temperature (T and Te), and electron density (Ne) are useful in investigating tidal variations in the E- and F-region since the geomagnetic activity was particularly low during the time of measurement. Maximum entropy spectra of the parameters were calculated for the relatively quiet interval from 1 August to 4 August 1992 and indicated dominant variations with harmonics of 24 hours. In the electron density spectrum especially, harmonics up to the sixth order (4-h period) are clearly visible. The phase and amplitude height profiles (100–450 km) of the diurnal, semidiurnal, and terdiurnal variations were determined by Fourier transform for a 24-h data set beginning at 12:00 UT on 3 August 1992 when the contaminating influences of electric fields were negligible. The tidal variations of the ion temperatures are compared with the corresponding variations of the neutral temperature predicted by the MSISE-90 model. A remarkable result is the dominance of terdiurnal temperature oscillations at E-region heights on 3–4 August 1992, while the measured diurnal and semidiurnal variations were negligible. The finding was confirmed by the analysis of further EISCAT data (2–3 August 1989, 2–3 July 1990, 31 March–1 April 1992) which also showed a dominant terdiurnal temperature tide in the E-region. This is different from numerous observations of tides in the E-region at mid-latitudes where the diurnal and especially the semidiurnal temperature oscillations were dominant.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osuke Saka

Abstract. An auroral ionosphere is generally incompressive and non-uniform medium with anisotropic conductivities. Compressibility may occur, however, following the onset of field line dipolarization. This behavior can happen when; (1) Westward directing electric fields transmitted from the dipolarization region accumulate both electrons and ions in equatorward latitudes in F region. (2) The mobility difference of electrons and ions in E region produces electrostatic potential in a quasi-neutral condition, positive in higher latitudes and negative in lower latitudes. (3) Density modulation in F region excites ion acoustic wave propagating along the field lines towards the magnetosphere. (4) The ion acoustic wave stops in the ionosphere for about 4 min because of a low phase velocity (~ 1.6 km/s). During this compressive interval, density accumulation in equatorward latitudes expands upstream to form a poleward expansion of auroras analogous to upstream propagation of a shock in traffic flow on crowded roads. Electrostatic potential produced in the E region generates field-aligned currents and closing Pedersen currents to retain electrostatic potential in a quasi-neutral ionosphere. The ion acoustic wave produces upward electric fields along the field lines in accordance with the Boltzmann relation which contributed to the ion upflow at topside ionosphere.


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