Wesley E. Swartz

Electrodynamics of midlatitude spread F: 1. Observations of unstable, gravity wave‐induced ionospheric electric fields at tropical latitudes

In part 1 of our series exploring the role of electrical forces in midlatitude spread F, we present observations of an elect.rolyiia.iuically driven traveling ionospheric disturbance which passed over Arecibo observatory between 22 and 24 AST on.January 26, 1993. The total electric potential differences driving the wave were of the order of 1 kV. Our analysis indicates that this disturbance is the result of a midlatitude F region plasma instability seeded by a therniospheric gravity wave. Two novel measurements, in addition to typical incoherent scatter observations, were crucial to this determinatiou: tie use of G300 A airglow images front the coupling, energetics, and dynamics of atmospheric regions (CEDAR) all-sky imager to track the two-dimensional, mesoscale dynamics of the disturbance and the rise of a portable ionosonde to simultaneonsly measure the field line integrated ionospheric conductivity in the conjugate hemisphere. we have also determined that this disturbance, like several previously observed midlatitude disturbances, is consistent with our theoretical knowledge of the basic instability of the midlatitude ionosphere described originally by Perkins [1973].

VHF radar and rocket observations of equatorial spread F on Kwajalein

VHF radar data from the Summer 1990 Equatorial Spread F campaign on Kwajalein are presented. The Cornell 50 MHz portable radar interferometer (CUPRI) operated concurrently with the Altair UHF incoherent scatter radar throughout July and August and supported two sounding rocket flights on July 30 and August 2. This experiment provided the first opportunity to simultaneously diagnose equatorial spread F using the three prime experimental techniques: VHF/UHF coherent scatter, incoherent scatter, and in situ probe measurements of electric field and density fluctuations. The intensity of the coherent echoes observed was consistent with typical Jicamarca spread F observations, but chains of periodic, large-scale plasma upwellings were observed more often and for much longer durations on Kwajalein than have been seen over Peru. CUPRI also measured Doppler frequencies in one upwelling corresponding to 1200-m/s plasma drift velocities. This measurement agrees with recent observations of supersonic drift rates at the magnetic equator by spacecraft. Near the most active localized plasma upwellings, interferometer data reveal that the zonal drift rate of plasma irregularities can vary sharply in space, as one would expect for two-dimensional incompressible flow. We introduce a semiempirical model of the three-dimensional spectrum of F region irregularities that is consistent with the one-dimensional spectra of density fluctuations observed by sounding rockets and with the axial ratio of irregularities determined recently. Normalized to data from one of the rocket flights on Kwajalein, the model predicts the 3-m scattering cross-section measured by CUPRI to within a few decibels.

Observations of auroral E-region plasma waves and electron heating with EISCAT and a VHF radar interferometer

Two radars were used simultaneously to study naturally occurring electron heating events in the auroral E-region ionosphere. During a joint campaign in March 1986 the Cornell University Portable Radar Interferometer (CUPRI) was positioned to look perpendicular to the magnetic field to observe unstable plasma waves over Tromso, Norway, while EISCAT measured the ambient conditions in the unstable region. On two nights EISCAT detected intense but short lived (< 1 min) electron heating events during which the temperature suddenly increased by a factor of 2–4 at altitudes near 108 km and the electron densities were less than 7 × 104 cm−3. On the second of these nights CUPRI was operating and detected strong plasma waves with very large phase velocities at precisely the altitudes and times at which the heating was observed. The altitudes, as well as one component of the irregularity drift velocity, were determined by interferometric techniques. From the observations and our analysis, we conclude that the electron temperature increases were caused by plasma wave heating and not by either Joule heating or particle precipitation.

First in‐situ observations of neutral and plasma density fluctuations within a PMSE layer

The NLC-91 rocket and radar campaign provided the first opportunity for high resolution neutral and plasma turbulence measurements with simultaneous observations of PMSE (Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes). During the flight of the TURBO payload on August 1, 1991, CUPRI and EISCAT observed double PMSE layers located at 86 and 88 km altitude, respectively. Strong neutral density fluctuations were observed in the upper layer but not in the lower layer. The fluctuation spectra of the ions and neutrals within the upper layer are consistent with standard turbulence theories. However, we show that there is no neutral turbulence present in the lower layer and that something else must have been operating here to create the plasma fluctuations and hence the radar echoes. Although the in situ measurements of the electron density fluctuations are much stronger in the lower layer, the higher absolute electron density of the upper layer more than compensated for the weaker fluctuations yielding comparable radar echo powers.

Caribbean Ionosphere Campaign, year one: Airglow and plasma observations during two intense mid‐latitude spread‐F events

A series of campaigns has been carried out in the Caribbean over a one-year period to study intense mid-latitude spread-F events using a cluster of diversified instrumentation. These events are relatively rare but a number of them have now been captured and will be discussed in this and several companion papers. This paper focuses on 630 nm airglow images obtained by the Cornell All-Sky Imager for two of the more spectacular cases that began on February 17, 1998 and February 17, 1999. In the latter case, and for the first time, a poleward surge of depletion/enhancement airglow zones was captured by radar as well as an airglow imager. In the former case structures grew in place overhead and produced strong VHF F-region backscatter as observed by the CUPRI and University of Illinois radars; the other event, exactly one year later, did not result in detectable 3-m backscatter. The two data sets show quantitatively that the low airglow region is elevated in height and depleted in plasma density and Pedersen conductivity. We suggest an enhanced eastward electric field inside the low conductivity zone may be responsible for the surge. The data also suggest small scale turbulence can only be observed in developing structures.

Enhanced radar backscatter from space shuttle exhaust in the ionosphere

Enhancements in the backscatter from the 430-MHz radar at Arecibo were recorded during the Spacelab 2 mission when the space shuttle orbital maneuver system (OMS) engines were fired in the ionosphere. The modifications in the backscatter could have been the result of (1) compression of the electrons to produce higher densities, (2) generation of ion acoustic waves, (3) variations in the electron to ion temperature ratio, (4) enhanced scatter cross section by charging of ice particles in the exhaust, or (5) excitation of dust acoustic waves. Rapid cooling and condensation of the exhaust are important in determining the scattering properties of the modified ionosphere. A dusty plasma is formed when electrons are attached to ice particles in the exhaust plume. The calculated neutral temperature inside the exhaust plume is 120 K. Charge exchange between ambient O+ and the cold exhaust molecules yields low-temperature ion beams that excite weakly damped, ion acoustic waves. The enhanced radar echoes are probably the result of scatter from these waves, but the effects of the dusty plasma may be important. During future experiments, the space shuttle will fire the OMS engines over radars located at Arecibo, Puerto Rico; Jicarmarca, Peru; or Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. Measurements of the spectra from these radars will provide the means to distinguish between the various backscatter processes.

High‐resolution radar observations of daytime kilometer‐scale wave structure in the equatorial electrojet

Using a new antenna configuration and new data processing hardware, the authors probed the electrojet with unprecedented spatial resolution in January 1991 at Jicamarca. The altitude resolution was 125 m, and the east-west antenna beamwidth was about 0.6[degrees], or about 1 km at electrojet altitudes. The high spatial resolution allowed them to observe, at certain altitudes and times, pronounced wavelike structures with vertical wavelengths of the order of 1 km and periods of tens of seconds. These observations closely resemble the predictions of recent nonlocal, nonlinear numerical simulations of large-scale turbulence in the equatorial electrojet. The comparison demonstrated the validity of the theory and confirmed the idea that the Doppler power spectra of type 2 echoes at 50 MHz (due to 3-m plasma waves generated by the gradient-drift instability and a nonlinear cascade of energy from long-wavelength modes to short) are controlled primarily by the large-scale dynamics and not by the nonlinear local growth and decay rates of the 3-m waves themselves. 16 refs., 7 figs.

Large amplitude quasi-periodic fluctuations associated with a mid-latitude sporadic E layer

Abstract For the first time a sounding rocket has been launched into a mid-latitude sporadic E event which was shown to be the source of VHF radar echoes. The layer had a very high peak electron density (∼10 6 cm −3 ) and was thicker (∼5 km) than most events previously studied by rockets and incoherent scatter radars. The layer was modulated in a remarkable quasi-periodic manner which has not been reported earlier. Twenty cycles of these structures were detected and they seem to be oriented horizontally rather than vertically with periods in the rocket frame in the rage 6–10 s. There is also some evidence that the modulation was detected below as well as above the peak in the electron density, although the bulk of the flight was above the peak. Although the VHF radar echoes were decaying at the time and place where the rocket traversed the E layer, one burst of high amplitude short wavelength fluctuations was detected by the space-borne instruments and had a power spectrum similar to that of a secondary gradient drift mode. This burst occurred at the peak of one of the periodic electron density fluctuations. We discuss two possible sources for the dominant fluctuations: large-scale gradient drift waves and atmospheric acoustic waves. The latter seem most consistent with the data.

Spread-F-like irregularities observed by the Jicamarca radar during the day-time

Abstract Until now the presence of F-region irregularities responsible for spread-F (sp-F) traces in ionograms has been considered as a purely night-time phenomenon extending sporadically to the early morning hours. We herein report that, on two occasions (26 March 1974 and 1 February 1984) similar irregularities were observed between 1400 and 1600 hours local time with the Jicamarca radar. These irregularities caused enhancements in the power of the radar echo of as much as two orders of magnitude, were found over a region of a few hundred kilometers on the topside of the F-region extending from around 600 to 1000 km altitude, and persisted for 1–2 h. The irregularities were aspect sensitive (aligned with the magnetic field) and produced echoes with a fading rate of the order of one to a few seconds. The background zonal electric field, inferred from the vertical drift velocity, was fairly constant in altitude, with values smaller than 0.1 mV m−1. During the duration of the events, zonal components of both signs occurred, with the component passing through zero several times. We have no information on the vertical component of E. These irregularities could not be observed with ground-based ionosondes, since they are on the topside of the F-region. They may be related to fossil bubbles that are responsible for HF ducting observed by satellites.

A comparison of PMSE and other ground-based observations during the NLC-91 campaign

Abstract During the period July–August 1991, observations were made of Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes (PMSE) at 46.9 MHz and 224 MHz by the CUPRI and EISCAT radars, respectively, at two sites in northern Scandinavia. Those observations are compared here with observations of noctilucent clouds, energetic particle precipitation and magnetic disturbances. The appearance and morphology of PMSE are found to be closely correlated at the two frequencies and the two sites, 200 km apart. No correlation is found between PMSE and noctilucent clouds or magnetic disturbance. No correlation is found between energetic particle precipitation and the appearance of PMSE at 46.9 MHz for the whole time period. At 224 MHz, there is no evidence for a correlation before the beginning of August and only one event suggesting a possible correlation after the beginning of August. A minimum in occurrence frequency for PMSE is found between 16 and 21 UT (17–22 LST) which may be related to an expected minimum in background wind strength in that time interval.