Simulation of high latitude F-layer instabilities in the presence of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL012i005p00283· OSTI ID:5476223

Mitchell, Jr, H G; Fedder, J A; Keskinen, M J; Zalesak, S T

A magnetic-field-line-integrated model of plasma interchange instabilities is developed for the high latitude ionosphere including magnetospheric coupling effects. We show that the primary magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling effect is to incorporate the inertia of the magnetospheric plasma in the analysis. As a specific example, we present the first simulation of the E x B instability in the inertial regime, i.e., ..nu../sub 1/<<..omega.. where ..nu../sub i/ is the ion-neutral collision frequency and ..omega.. is the wave frequency. We find that the inertial E x B instability develops in a fundamentally different manner than in the collisional case (..nu../sub i/ >>..omega..). Our results show that striations produced in the inertial regime are spread and retarded by ion inertial effects, and result in more isotropic irregularities than those seen in the collisional case.

• Research Organization: Science Applications International Corporation, 1710 Goodridge Drive, McLean, VA 22102
• OSTI ID: 5476223
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 12:5; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
&amp; Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
F REGION
INSTABILITY
IONOSPHERE
IONOSPHERIC EFFECTS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
SIMULATION