Nonlinear theory and experimental observations of the local collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a descending equatorial spread-f ionosphere. Memorandum report

Technical Report · Thu Jan 08 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5873033

Keskinen, M J; Szuszczewicz, E P; Ossakow, S L; Holmes, J C

The nonlinear evolution of the local collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instability in downward-moving equatorial F layers has been studied in a coordinated theoretical and experimental program dealing with actual conditions of bottomside spread F. For ambient bottomside electron density gradient scale lengths L=8 and 25 km, we find large percentage depletions and inverse power law spatial power spectra over the intermediate wavelength range wavelength=25 m-1 km. In addition we outline a nonlinear theory of the collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instability applicable to an upward or downward moving equatorial F region ionosphere. These results represent the first definitive comparison between experiment and theory with their agreement lending further support to the belief that the collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instability is responsible for large scale size irregularities that occure under conditions of equatorial spread F.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5873033
• Report Number(s): AD-A-094723
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BUBBLES
COHERENT SCATTERING
DATA
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EQUATOR
EXPERIMENT PLANNING
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
F REGION
INFORMATION
INSTABILITY
IONOSPHERE
NUMERICAL DATA
OSCILLATIONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLANNING
PLASMA
RAYLEIGH SCATTERING
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SCATTERING
SCINTILLATIONS
SPREAD F