Plasma density, temperature and turbulence in the wake of the shuttle orbiter

Plasma density, temperature, and turbulence in the near, mid, and far wake of the Shuttle orbiter are examined on the basis of in situ observations by The University of Iowa Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP). These observations, the only such measurements in the mid and far wake of the orbiter, indicate that plasma disturbances produced by the passage of the orbiter extend downstream for a distance of several hundred meters behind the orbiter. The electron density profile is found to exhibit nonmonotonic behavior. Most of the 6-40 Hz turbulence in the wake is confined to a region ≈20 m downstream of the orbiter. ΔN_e/ N_e spectra show a rapid decline in the 10 ⁴-10 ⁵ Hz decade, both in the ambient ionosphere and in the wake.