Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billows
The Gadanki radar observation of plasma irregularities bearing the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz billows above 100 km altitude raises the question of the electrodynamical mechanism that would allow the structures to drift with the neutral wind. We show that for locally varying neutra...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2006-07-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/24/1367/2006/angeo-24-1367-2006.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811265546681843712 |
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| author | J. P. St.-Maurice R. K. Choudhary |
| author_facet | J. P. St.-Maurice R. K. Choudhary |
| author_sort | J. P. St.-Maurice |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Gadanki radar observation of plasma irregularities bearing
the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz billows above 100 km altitude
raises the question of the electrodynamical mechanism that
would allow the structures to drift with the neutral wind. We
show that for locally varying neutral wind fields with the
right geometry at night, multiple Hall effects in the electron gas
lead to a situation where ions, electrons, and neutrals move
together along the component of the wind that
changes most rapidly in space. The species must not move
together along all directions, however. If this were the case
the plasma would be stable and a radar would be unable to
observe the wind field. We discuss the stability of the
plasma itself for Es layers affected by the Kelvin-Helmholtz wind
field and show that a variety of factors have to be taken into
account beyond the study of the zeroth order mechanism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:24:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1065d28b33fc47f2bab5a119f030631d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:24:38Z |
| publishDate | 2006-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annales Geophysicae |
| spelling | doaj.art-1065d28b33fc47f2bab5a119f030631d2022-12-22T03:17:53ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05762006-07-01241367137410.5194/angeo-24-1367-2006Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billowsJ. P. St.-Maurice0R. K. Choudhary1Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, CanadaInstitute of Space and Atmospheric Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, CanadaThe Gadanki radar observation of plasma irregularities bearing the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz billows above 100 km altitude raises the question of the electrodynamical mechanism that would allow the structures to drift with the neutral wind. We show that for locally varying neutral wind fields with the right geometry at night, multiple Hall effects in the electron gas lead to a situation where ions, electrons, and neutrals move together along the component of the wind that changes most rapidly in space. The species must not move together along all directions, however. If this were the case the plasma would be stable and a radar would be unable to observe the wind field. We discuss the stability of the plasma itself for Es layers affected by the Kelvin-Helmholtz wind field and show that a variety of factors have to be taken into account beyond the study of the zeroth order mechanism.https://www.ann-geophys.net/24/1367/2006/angeo-24-1367-2006.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. P. St.-Maurice R. K. Choudhary Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billows Annales Geophysicae |
| title | Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billows |
| title_full | Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billows |
| title_fullStr | Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billows |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billows |
| title_short | Local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes: Kelvin-Helmholtz billows |
| title_sort | local ionospheric electrodynamics associated with neutral wind fields at low latitudes kelvin helmholtz billows |
| url | https://www.ann-geophys.net/24/1367/2006/angeo-24-1367-2006.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jpstmaurice localionosphericelectrodynamicsassociatedwithneutralwindfieldsatlowlatitudeskelvinhelmholtzbillows AT rkchoudhary localionosphericelectrodynamicsassociatedwithneutralwindfieldsatlowlatitudeskelvinhelmholtzbillows |