Diagnostic model for equatorial spread F. 1. Model description and application to electric field and neutral wind effects

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA093iA12p14611· OSTI ID:6575113

Maruyama, T

Linear growth rates for the gravitational Rayleigh-Taylor instability are calculated using the ionospheric electron density distribution obtained by solving the ion continuity equations including dynamics for O/sup +/, NO/sup +/, O/sub 2//sup +/, and N/sup +//sub 2/ ions. The instability model includes the contributions from plasma away from the magnetic equatorial plane. Effects of the transequatorial component of the thermospheric wind and the E x B drift are investigated. Thermospheric winds are based on theoretical calculations. The E x B drift velocities are modeled after the observations at Jicamarca and Fortaleza for different seasons. The results have shown that both effects are equally important to controlling the occurrence of equatorial spread F. Observed winter-summer asymmetry of the occurrence probability at the Jicamarca longitude is explained by the characteristics of the E x B drift velocity model. However, in the case of Fortaleza, the observations cannot be explained strictly in terms of the E x B drift effect and the wind effect, we have obtained a qualitative agreement between the observations and calculations over all seasons for both Jicamarca and Fortaleza. copyright American Geophysical Union 1988

• Research Organization: School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
• OSTI ID: 6575113
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 93:A12; ISSN JGREA
• 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
EQUATOR
F REGION
INSTABILITY
IONOSPHERE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SPREAD F
THERMOSPHERE