scholarly journals The effects of the pre-reversal ExB drift, the EIA asymmetry, and magnetic activity on the equatorial spread F during solar maximum

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-C. Lee ◽  
J.-Y. Liu ◽  
B. W. Reinisch ◽  
W.-S. Chen ◽  
F.-D. Chu

Abstract. We use a digisonde at Jicamarca and a chain of GPS receivers on the west side of South America to investigate the effects of the pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) in ExB drift, the asymmetry (Ia) of equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), and the magnetic activity (Kp) on the generation of equatorial spread F (ESF). Results show that the ESF appears frequently in summer (November, December, January, and February) and equinoctial (March, April, September, and October) months, but rarely in winter (May, June, July, and August) months. The seasonal variation in the ESF is associated with those in the PRE ExB drift and Ia. The larger ExB drift (>20m/s) and smaller |Ia| (<0.3) in summer and equinoctial months provide a preferable condition to development the ESF. Conversely, the smaller ExB drift and larger |Ia| are responsible for the lower ESF occurrence in winter months. Regarding the effects of magnetic activity, the ESF occurrence decreases with increasing Kp in the equinoctial and winter months, but not in the summer months. Furthermore, the larger and smaller ExB drifts are presented under the quiet (Kp<3) and disturbed (Kp≥3) conditions, respectively. These results indicate that the suppression in ESF and the decrease in ExB drifts are mainly caused by the decrease in the eastward electric field.

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 753-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Meggs ◽  
C. N. Mitchell ◽  
V. S. C. Howells

Abstract. We use a digisonde at Jicamarca and a chain of GPS receivers on the west side of South America to investigate the effects of the pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) in ExB drift, the asymmetry (Ia) of equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), and the magnetic activity (Kp) on the generation of equatorial spread F (ESF). Results show that the ESF appears frequently in summer (November, December, January, and February) and equinoctial (March, April, September, and October) months, but rarely in winter (May, June, July, and August) months. The seasonal variation in the ESF is associated with those in the PRE ExB drift and Ia. The larger ExB drift (>20m/s) and smaller |Ia| (<0.3) in summer and equinoctial months provide a preferable condition to development the ESF. Conversely, the smaller ExB drift and larger |Ia| are responsible for the lower ESF occurrence in winter months. Regarding the effects of magnetic activity, the ESF occurrence decreases with increasing Kp in the equinoctial and winter months, but not in the summer months. Furthermore, the larger and smaller ExB drifts are presented under the quiet (Kp<3) and disturbed (Kp≥3) conditions, respectively. These results indicate that the suppression in ESF and the decrease in ExB drifts are mainly caused by the decrease in the eastward electric field.


Nature ◽  
1958 ◽  
Vol 181 (4625) ◽  
pp. 1724-1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. LYON ◽  
N. J. SKINNER ◽  
R. W. WRIGHT

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Manju ◽  
C. V. Devasia ◽  
R. Sridharan

Abstract. A study has been carried out on the occurrence of bottom side equatorial spread F (ESF) and its dependence on the polarity and magnitude of the thermospheric meridional wind just prior to ESF occurrence during summer, winter and equinox seasons of solar maximum (2002) and minimum years (1995), using ionosonde data of Trivandrum (8.5° N, 76.5° E, dip=0.5° N) and SHAR (13.7° N, 80.2° E, dip ~5.5° N) in the Indian longitude sector. In this study, we have examined the changes in the threshold height of the base of the F layer for the triggering of ESF, irrespective of the magnitude and polarity of the meridional winds during the above periods. The study indicates that the threshold height above which ESF triggering is entirely controlled only by the collisional R-T instability is least for summer months, with higher values for winter and equinox, during the solar minimum period, whereas for the solar maximum period the threshold height is least for winter, with higher values for summer and equinox. But the range over which the threshold height varies is very narrow (<15 km) for solar minimum in relation to the large range of variation (>50 km) in the solar maximum epoch. Further to this, the study also reveals a clear-cut increase in threshold height with solar activity for all seasons. Clear-cut seasonal variability is also observed in the threshold height, especially for solar maximum. The study quantifies the level of the base of the F layer below which neutral dynamical effects play a decisive role in the triggering of ESF during different seasons and solar epochs.


2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Krall ◽  
J. D. Huba ◽  
G. Joyce ◽  
T. Yokoyama

Abstract. Forces governing the three-dimensional structure of equatorial spread-F (ESF) plumes are examined using the NRL SAMI3/ESF three-dimensional simulation code. As is the case with the equatorial ionization anomaly (IA), density crests within the plume occur where gravitational and diffusive forces are in balance. Large E×B drifts within the ESF plume place these crests on field lines with apex heights higher than those of the background IA crests. Large poleward field-aligned ion velocities within the plume result in large ion-neutral diffusive forces that support these ionization crests at altitudes higher than background IA crest altitudes. We show examples in which density enhancements associated with ESF, also called "plasma blobs," can occur within an ESF plume on density-crest field lines, at or above the density crests. Simulated ESF density enhancements reproduce all key features of those that have been observed in situ.


2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Lan ◽  
Chunhua Jiang ◽  
Guobin Yang ◽  
Yuannong Zhang ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
...  

AbstractStatistical analysis of spread F (SF), recorded at Puer (PUR, 22.7° N, 101.05° E, Dip Latitude 12.9° N) during 2015–2016, was carried out to reveal its characteristics at the northern equatorial ionization anomaly. In our study, SF was categorized into four types, frequency spread F (FSF), range spread F (RSF), mix spread F (MSF) and strong range spread F (SSF). The statistical results presented that FSF and MSF were dominant over Puer. Most types of SF appeared mostly in summer months, except the maximum occurrence of SSF in equinox months. Moreover, observations of SF events also showed that the solar activity and magnetic activity dependence of SF varied with seasons. Compared with observations at other region, the present results suggest that medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) may play a key role in generation of SF in low-latitude region.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 503-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Sreeja ◽  
C. V. Devasia ◽  
R. Sridharan ◽  

Abstract. The persistence (duration) of Equatorial Spread F (ESF), which has significant impact on communication systems, is addressed. Its behavior during different seasons and geomagnetic activity levels under the solar maximum (2001) and minimum (2006) conditions, is reported using the data from the magnetic equatorial location of Trivandrum (8.5° N; 77° E; dip 0.5° N) in India. The study reveals that the persistence of the irregularities can be estimated to a reasonable extent by knowing the post sunset F region vertical drift velocity (Vz) and the magnetic activity index Kp. Any sort of advance information on the possible persistence of the ionospheric irregularities responsible for ESF is important for understanding the scintillation morphology, and the results which form the first step in this direction are presented and discussed.


1997 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. T. Jayachandran ◽  
P. Sri Ram ◽  
V. V. Somayajulu ◽  
P. V. S. Rama Rao

Abstract. The unique geometry of the geomagnetic field lines over the equatorial ionosphere coupled with the E-W electric field causes the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) and equatorial spread-F (ESF). Ionosonde data obtained at a chain of four stations covering equator to anomaly crest region (0.3 to 33 °N dip) in the Indian sector are used to study the role of EIA and the associated processes on the occurrence of ESF. The study period pertains to the equinoctial months (March, April, September and October) of 1991. The ratios of critical frequency of F-layer (ƒ0F2) and electron densities at an altitude of 270 km between Ahmedabad (33 °N dip) and Waltair (20 °N dip) are found to shoot up in the afternoon hours on spread-F days showing strengthening of the EIA in the afternoon hours. The study confirms the earlier conclusions made by Raghava Rao et al. and Alex et al. that a well-developed EIA is one of the conditions conducive for the generation of ESF. This study also shows that the location of the crest is also important in addition to the strength of the anomaly.


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