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Formation and detection of high latitude ionospheric irregularitiesMeasurements of Total Electron Content (TEC) and airglow variations show that large scale plasma patches appearing in the high-latitude ionsophere have irregular structures evidenced by the satellite phase and amplitude scintillations. Whistler waves, intense quasi-DC electric field, and atmospheric gravity waves can become potential sources of various plamsa instabilities. The role of thermal effects in generating ionospheric irregularities by these sources is discussed. Meter-scale irregularities in the ionospheric E and F regions can be excited parametrically with lower hybrid waves by intense whistler waves. Ohmic dissipation of Pedersen current in the electron gas is able to create ionospheric F region irregularities in plasma blobs or plasma patches (i.e., high ambient plasma density environment) with broad scale lengths ranging from tens of meters to a few kilometers. Through the neutral-charged particle collisions, gravity waves can excite large-scale (less than tens of kilometers) ionospheric irregularities simultaneously with forced ion acoustic modes in the E region. The large-scale ionospheric density fluctuations produced in the E region can extend subsequently alogn the earth's magnetic field to the F region and the topside ionospheric regions. These mechanisms characterized by various thermal effects can contribute additively with other processes to the formation of ionospheric irregularities in the high latitude region.
Document ID
19860018086
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lee, M. C.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Buchau, J.
(Air Force Geophysics Lab. Hanscom AFB, Mass., United States)
Carlson, H. C., Jr.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Klobuchar, J. A.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Weber, E. J.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: AGARD Propagation Effects on Military Systems in the High Latitude Region
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
86N27558
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-270
CONTRACT_GRANT: F19628-83-K-0024
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
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