Nonlinear unstable auroral-arc driven thermospheric winds in an ionosphere-magnetosphere coupled model

Journal Article · Tue Dec 14 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL01978· OSTI ID:5019841

Keskinen, M J ^[1]; Satyanarayana, P ^[2]

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1. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States)
2. Science Applications International Corp., McLean, VA (United States)

The nonlinear evolution of thermospheric winds in an ionosphere-magnetosphere coupled model has been studied for the first time for a dynamic unstable auroral-arc environment. The authors treat the problem using a multi-layer, quasi-three-dimensional model which averages in altitude the thermospheric dynamics over each layer. For the upper thermosphere, they find that (1) the thermosphere can respond to the ionospheric Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability on temporal scales on the order of an hour, depending on ambient conditions, and on spatial scales of tens to hundreds of kilometers, (2) strong thermospheric meridional and zonal vortical flows with embedded nonlinear jet-like structures can be generated by the ionospheric/magnetospheric KH instability and (3) neutral thermospheric winds, vortices, and associated power spectra develop in a distinctly different manner in the presence of magnetospheric coupling effects. Comparison with recent observations is made. 23 refs., 21 figs.

• OSTI ID: 5019841
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 20:23; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY
IONOSPHERE
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
THERMOSPHERE
WIND