Observations of low-latitude plasma density enhancements and their associated electric fields and plasma velocities using probes on the C/NOFS satellite

Plasma density structures are frequently encountered in the nighttime low latitude ionosphere by probes on the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite. Of particular interest to us here are plasma density enhancements, which are typically observed +/- 15 deg away from the magnetic equator. The low inclination of the C/NOFS satellite offers an unprecedented opportunity to examine these structures and their associated electric fields and plasma velocities, including their field-aligned components, along an east-west trajectory. Among other observations, the data reveal a clear asymmetry in the velocity structure within and around these density enhancements. We discuss this and other aspects of the observations in relation to the characteristics of the plasma depletions formed near the magnetic equator detected by the same probes on the C/NOFS satellite.