Chatanika/TRIAD observations of unstable ionization enhancements in the auroral F-region

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL007i010p00789· OSTI ID:6815808

Vickrey, J F; Rino, C L; Potemra, T A

Preliminary results are presented from a campaign of coordinated measurements between the Chatanika radar and the TRIAD satellite to investigate production mechanisms responsible for localized high-latitude scintillations. The radar measured the latitudinal variations of plasma density and electric field while the satellite measured the field-aligned current distribution with latitude. This information was used to calculate the linear growth rate of the current convective instability. We find that field-aligned ionization enhancements, which are a common feature of the auroral F-region, are unstable, with instability growth times of < or =6 minutes. The observed plasma configuration, which was already gradient drift unstable on its poleward edge, was further destabilized by a field-aligned current of approx.0.8 ..mu..A/m/sup 2/. The presence of electron density irregularities produced in the unstable region was verified by observing VHF scintillations on the TRIAD telemetry signal.

• Research Organization: Radio Physics Laboratory, SRI International Menlo Park, CA 94025
• OSTI ID: 6815808
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 7:10; 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
ALASKA
AURORAE
AURORAL ZONES
DATA
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRON DENSITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
F REGION
INFORMATION
IONIZATION
IONOSPHERE
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
SCINTILLATIONS
USA