Seeding of equatorial plasma depletions by polarization electric fields from middle latitudes: Experimental evidence

Details Seeding of equatorial plasma depletions by polarization electric fields from middle latitudes: Experimental evidence Seeding of equatorial plasma depletions by polarization electric fields from middle latitudes: Experimental evidence

Sep 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009georl..3618105m&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 36, Issue 18, CiteID L18105

Physics

7

Ionosphere: Plasma Waves And Instabilities (2772), Ionosphere: Midlatitude Ionosphere, Ionosphere: Equatorial Ionosphere, Ionosphere: Electric Fields (2712)

Scientific paper

It is well-known that large wedges of depleted plasma often form in the equatorial ionosphere after sunset. Irregularities in and around these depletions cause scintillation on trans-ionospheric radio paths, as well as strong VHF backscatter. The ultimate stage of depletion growth is controlled by a collisional interchange instability. However, the initiation stages remain the subject of debate. Depletions formed in the first 1-3 hours after sunset are probably seeded by instability processes operating in the valley region from 150-250 km. However, depletions that form later in the evening do not benefit from the rapid pre-reversal enhancement of the zonal electric field nor the sheared flow of the evening vortex. We investigate evidence from airglow images and VHF coherent backscatter that a polarization electric field associated with an ionospheric instability process at middle latitudes may induce the formation of post-midnight depletions at the geomagnetic equator during geomagnetically-quiet periods.

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