Equatorial spread f: 'in situ' measurements of electron density temperature and density fluctuation power spectra. Memorandum report

Technical Report · Mon Aug 25 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6499135

Szuszczewicz, E P; Holmes, J C

The NRL pulsed plasma probe experiment was successfully flown on each of the two PLUMEX rockets during July 1979. The experiment provided direct measurements of absolute density N(e), temperature T(e) and density fluctuation power spectra with a maximum Nyquist frequency of 1 KHz (1 meter resolution at a 1 km/sec rocket velocity). In the first operation, a number of major depletions were distributed througout the F-region, from its bottomside gradient centered near 260 km, through the F-peak, to a topside altitude of 500 km. The F-peak was at 375 km, with N(e)(max) = 1/1,300,000 cc (+ or - 10%). The electron energy distribution was characterized by T(e) = 1350 (+ or - 250)K with no obvious signatures of energy redistribution in and around the depletions. The most intense 'in situ' irregularities occurred on the bottomside ledge where gradient scale lengths were found to vary between 2 and 25 km. The power spectral density in this region of intense irregularities on the bottomside was dominated by a k(-2.5) power law over the intermediate wavelength domain K = 2pi/1 km to k = 2pi/2.5 m. This result supports the role of the collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instability in generation intermediate wavelength irregularities during the occurrence of equatorial spread-F.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6499135
• Report Number(s): AD-A-089133
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON SPECTRA
EQUATOR
F REGION
IONOSPHERE
MEASURING METHODS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
SPECTRA
SPREAD F
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT