NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Nonlinear unstable auroral-arc driven thermospheric winds in an ionosphere-magnetosphere coupled modelThe nonlinear evolution of thermospheric winds in an ionosphere-magnetosphere coupled model has been studied for the first time for a dynamic unstable auroral-arc environment. We treat the problem using a multi-layer, quasi-three-dimensional model which averages in altitude the thermospheric dynamics over each layer. For the upper thermosphere, we find that (1) the thermosphere can respond to the ionospheric Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability on temporal scales on the order of an hour, depending on ambient conditions, and on spatial scales of tens to hundreds of kilometers, (2) strong thermospheric meridional and zonal vortical flows with embedded nonlinear jet-like structures can be generated by the ionospheric/magnetospheric KH instability and (3) neutral thermospheric winds, vortices, and associated power spectra develop in a distinctly different manner in the presence of magnetospheric coupling effects. Comparison with recent observations is made.
Document ID
19950039548
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Keskinen, M. J.
(Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC, United States)
Satyanarayana, P.
(Science Applications International Corp. McLean, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
December 14, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 20
Issue: 23
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
95A71147
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available