Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsa23a1788e&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SA23A-1788
Physics
[2409] Ionosphere / Current Systems, [2411] Ionosphere / Electric Fields, [2415] Ionosphere / Equatorial Ionosphere, [2427] Ionosphere / Ionosphere/Atmosphere Interactions
Scientific paper
The prereversal enhancement of the vertical plasma drift in the low-latitude ionosphere helps determine the structure and stability post-sunset ionosphere. The current system of the prereversal enhancement and its underlying causes have been examined by Haerendel and Eccles [1992, JGR]. They proposed the equatorial electrojet as the controlling load on the unbalanced F region dynamo current near the E region sunset. This paper examines the low-latitude current system during and after the prereversal enhancement of the vertical plasma drift (Figure). After the reversal, the equatorial electrojet again provides the load path for the F region dynamo, but only briefly near the reversal. The bottom panel of the Figure shows a current As the ionosphere descends under the westward electric field, the F region itself becomes the primary path of current to feed the current continuity demands of the F region dynamo vertical current. A rapid reversal of the zonal electric field to the west ensures a rapid descent of the F region into the neutral atmosphere to increase the lower F region conductivity to carry a westward current toward the early evening F region dynamo unbalance current demands after the reversal. Modeling studies are presented to demonstrate the F region current closure for the nighttime F region dynamo. The white current flow lines show counter clockwise current flow with current magnitude proportional to the density of the lines. The black current flow lines show clockwise flow, but the contour line density represents a lower current by 5 times. The greyscale plots underneath the current flow lines are of field-line-integrated quantities: Hall conductivity (bottom panel), Pedersen conductivity (middle panel), and electron density (top panel) -- all in log values. The vertical plasma drift is plotted with a black line over the 2 day period.
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