Thermal effects on Farley-Buneman waves at nonzero aspect and flow angles. II. Behavior near threshold
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (Canada)
- Department of Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2 (Canada)
Based on the linear dispersion relation of Kissack et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 022901 (2008), the physical processes that define altitude behavior of marginally stable Farley-Buneman waves in the equatorial electrojet are investigated. The expressions derived for the angular frequency and growth rate are presented in such a way as to make it easy to track the dominant physical processes and to see the relation with earlier work. Two dimensionless parameters are identified that are helpful in showing the transition between altitude and wavelength domains where different thermal processes dominate. The difference in phase velocity between vertical and off-vertical transmissions (zero versus nonzero flow angles) is found to be due to Dimant-Sudan effects, which are preferentially less important at higher altitudes and shorter wavelengths.
- OSTI ID:
- 21103827
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2834276; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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