On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high-latitude E region

Details On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high-latitude E region On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high-latitude E region

Oct 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010jgra..11510304b&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 115, Issue A10, CiteID A10304

Physics

2

Magnetospheric Physics: Plasma Waves And Instabilities (2471), Ionosphere: Ionospheric Irregularities, Ionosphere: Auroral Ionosphere (2704), Ionosphere: Plasma Temperature And Density, Ionosphere: Wave/Particle Interactions (7867)

Scientific paper

The sources of parallel electric fields (E$\parallel$) to explain E region electron heating measurements made by incoherent scatter radars have not been resolved. This paper considers the effect of electron density gradients parallel to the geomagnetic field ($\nabla$$\parallel$n) on the Farley-Buneman instability and the resulting change in wave δE$\parallel$. The dispersion relation including the $\nabla$$\parallel$n effect is derived and solved for a set of wave vectors at marginal stability. It is shown that $\nabla$$\parallel$n with scales of several kilometers enable propagation of 50 m or longer wavelength waves at large angles (up to 5°) from perpendicularity to the geomagnetic field. The fact that kilometric scales of $\nabla$$\parallel$n were previously shown to occur during strong electrojet and that they coincide statistically well with the altitudes of strongest electron heating support the role of these long-wavelength waves in electron heating. Furthermore, unlike the gradient-drift instability, the $\nabla$$\parallel$n effect contributes to the growth of the waves with the proper k$\parallel$ sign regardless of the direction of the convection electric field Ec; this makes the $\nabla$$\parallel$n effect eligible as a source of electron heating, resulting in the consistent increase of electron temperature with the magnitude of Ec. Moreover, it is shown that the inclusion of the $\nabla$$\parallel$n effect reduces the discrepancy between the theoretically required perpendicular electric field turbulence (to raise the electron temperature to the measured values) and the in situ rocket measurements.

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