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Title: Rossby-Khantadze electromagnetic planetary waves driven by sheared zonal winds in the E-layer ionosphere

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4906362· OSTI ID:22408012
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Department of Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (CASE), Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona (Spain)
  2. Applied Research Laboratory and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758 (United States)
  3. Department of Physics, Forman Christian College, Ferozepur Road, Lahore 54600 (Pakistan)
  4. Physics Department, Government College University, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan)

Nonlinear simulations of electromagnetic Rossby and Khantadze planetary waves in the presence of a shearless and sheared zonal flows in the weakly ionized ionospheric E-layer are carried out. The simulations show that the nonlinear action of the vortex structures keeps the solitary character in the presence of shearless zonal winds as well as the ideal solutions of solitary vortex in the absence of zonal winds. In the presence of sheared zonal winds, the zonal flows result in breaking into separate multiple smaller pieces. A passively convected scalar field is shown to clarify the transport associated with the vortices. The work shows that the zonal shear flows provide an energy source into the vortex structure according to the shear rate of the zonal winds.

OSTI ID:
22408012
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English