The current convective instability and its relation to diffuse auroral scintillation causing F region irregularities
Abstract
A simple plasma fluid model is presented, which accounts for the diffuse auroral scintillation causing F region ionospheric irregularities observed by the DNA Wideband satellite. The nonlinear mode coupling theory for the current convective instability is investigated, and the linear theory is extended to include effects such as magnetic shear, ion inertial, and electromagnetic effects. The data give evidence that F region irregularities, which appear to be L-shell aligned localized sheet-like structures for wavelengths about 1 km, can be observed in regions with well defined north-south TEC gradients and magnetic field-aligned diffuse auroral particle precipitation.
- Publication:
-
In: Symposium on the Effect of the Ionosphere on Radiowave Systems
- Pub Date:
- 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981eirs.symp.....K
- Keywords:
-
- Auroral Zones;
- Convection Currents;
- F Region;
- Ionospheric Disturbances;
- Magnetohydrodynamic Stability;
- Scintillation;
- Digital Simulation;
- Electromagnetic Fields;
- Electron Diffusion;
- Ionic Diffusion;
- Ionospheric Currents;
- Satellite Observation;
- Geophysics