PLUMEX II: A second set of coincident radar and rocket observations of equatorial spread-F

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL008i007p00803· OSTI ID:5652079

Szuszczewicz, E P; Tsunoda, R T; Narcisi, R; Holmes, J C

PLUMEX II, the second rocket in a two-rocket operation that successfully executed coincident rocket and radar measurements of backscatter plumes and plasma depletions, was launched into the mid-phase of well-developed equatorial spread-F. In contrast with the first operation, the PLUMEX II results show large scale F-region irregularities only on the bottomside gradient with smaller scale irregularities (i.e., small scale structure imbedded in larger scale features) less intense than corresponding observations in PLUMEX I. The latter result could support current interpretations of east-west plume asymmetry which suggests that during initial upwelling the western wall of a plume (the PLUMEX I case) is more unstable than its eastern counterpart (the PLUMEX II case). In addition, ion mass spectrometer results are found to provide further support for an ion transport model which ''captures'' bottomside ions in an upwelling bubble and transports them to high altitudes.

• OSTI ID: 5652079
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 8:7; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BACKSCATTERING
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
F REGION
ION DENSITY
IONOSPHERE
IONOSPHERIC STORMS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA DRIFT
RADAR
RANGE FINDERS
SCATTERING
SPREAD F
WIND