Striation formation associated with barium clouds in an inhomogeneous ionosphere

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA081i028p05097· OSTI ID:7332073

Goldman, S R; Baker, L; Ossakow, S L; Scannapieco, A J

The present study investigates, via linear theory, how striations (treated as perturbations) created in a plasma cloud centered at 200 km will penetrate into the background inhomogeneous (real) ionosphere as a function of wavelength, integrated Pedersen conductivity ratio of the cloud to ionosphere (..sigma../sub p/ /sub b//..sigma../sub p/ /sub i/), and ambient ionospheric conditions. The study is posed as an eigenvalue problem which, while determining the potential variation (eigenmode) along magnetic field lines, self-consistently solves for the growth rate (eigenvalue) in the coupled cloud-inhomogeneous ionosphere system. Perturbed particle densities, fluxes parallel to the magnetic field B, and electrostatic potential are presented as a function of altitude. The results show the importance of the transport parameter the magnitude of imaging and aspect angle of striations with respect to B (i.e., striations take on a parallel component of wave number). Our results show that clouds with smaller conductivity ratios produce image striations further down into the background E region ionosphere with a more uniform coupling as a function of wavelength. It is further shown that there is a slight dependence of the E region coupling of the perturbations on the level of solar activity (solar maximum or minimum conditions) and also that this E region coupling shows a slight dependence on the extent of F region coupling above the cloud. Finally, with a fully self-consistent treatment of F region coupling, the growth rates show negligible short-wavelength damping due to ionospheric coupling for the ..sigma../sub p/ /sub b//..sigma../sub p/ /sub i/=4 case. (AIP)

• Research Organization: Science Applications Incorporated, McLean, Virginia 22101
• OSTI ID: 7332073
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 81:28; 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
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARIUM
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EIGENVALUES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
IONOSPHERE
METALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
STRIATIONS