Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?

A paper in 2000 (Huba, 2000) found a depression in electron density in the topside ionosphere near the magnetic equator, based on the SAMI-2 physical ionospheric model. The model showed, for the first time, the formation of a hole in electron density in the altitude range 1500–2500 km at geomagnetic...

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Main Author: D. Gallagher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2016-01-01
Series:Results in Physics
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211379716304727
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author D. Gallagher
author_facet D. Gallagher
author_sort D. Gallagher
collection DOAJ
description A paper in 2000 (Huba, 2000) found a depression in electron density in the topside ionosphere near the magnetic equator, based on the SAMI-2 physical ionospheric model. The model showed, for the first time, the formation of a hole in electron density in the altitude range 1500–2500 km at geomagnetic equatorial latitudes. The model produced the hole because of transhemispheric O+ flows that collisionally couple to H+, transporting it to lower altitudes, and thereby reducing the electron density at high altitudes. At that time and until now, no published observations have been reported to confirm or refute this numerical result. Recent, new analysis of Dynamics Explorer 1 Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer measurements provides the first tentative experimental support for this model result. Keywords: Ionosphere, Topside, Magnetic equator, Plasmasphere
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spelling doaj.art-65add55fd0644519beceef110820d5f82022-12-21T23:55:01ZengElsevierResults in Physics2211-37972016-01-01611811182Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?D. Gallagher0NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Research Office, Mail Code ZP10, Huntsville, AL 35812, USAA paper in 2000 (Huba, 2000) found a depression in electron density in the topside ionosphere near the magnetic equator, based on the SAMI-2 physical ionospheric model. The model showed, for the first time, the formation of a hole in electron density in the altitude range 1500–2500 km at geomagnetic equatorial latitudes. The model produced the hole because of transhemispheric O+ flows that collisionally couple to H+, transporting it to lower altitudes, and thereby reducing the electron density at high altitudes. At that time and until now, no published observations have been reported to confirm or refute this numerical result. Recent, new analysis of Dynamics Explorer 1 Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer measurements provides the first tentative experimental support for this model result. Keywords: Ionosphere, Topside, Magnetic equator, Plasmaspherehttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211379716304727
spellingShingle D. Gallagher
Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?
Results in Physics
title Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?
title_full Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?
title_fullStr Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?
title_full_unstemmed Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?
title_short Is there a hole in the topside, equatorial ionosphere?
title_sort is there a hole in the topside equatorial ionosphere
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211379716304727
work_keys_str_mv AT dgallagher isthereaholeinthetopsideequatorialionosphere