[1] Plasma density structures and associated irregularities in the nighttime midlatitude ionosphere are frequently observed as frontal structures elongated from northwest to southeast (NW-SE) in the Northern Hemisphere. The frontal structures and the coupling process between the E and F regions are studied with a three-dimensional numerical model, which can simulate two instability mechanisms: Perkins instability in the F-region and sporadic-E (E s )-layer instability in the E region. The fastest growth of the coupled instability occurs when the unstable conditions on NW-SE perturbation are satisfied in both regions. The perturbation of F-region integrated conductivity grows much faster than the isolated Perkins instability. The meridional component of a rotational wind shear blows an existing E s layer southward, and the F-region structure follows the E-region drift velocity. The NW-SE structure in the E region can be formed from random perturbation regardless of the F-region condition. When the F region is unstable on the NW-SE perturbation, however, the NW-SE structure is formed in both regions with a common scale length. We conclude that (1) the E s -layer instability plays a major role in seeding NW-SE structure in the F region, and the Perkins instability is required to amplify its perturbation; (2) the rotational wind shear in the E region produces southwestward phase propagation of the NW-SE structure in both the E and F regions; and (3) the coupling process has a significant effect on the scale of the E s -layer perturbation rather than the growth rate of the E s -layer instability.

The equatorial zonal electric field responses to prompt penetration of eastward convection electric fields (PPEF) were compared at closely spaced longitudinal intervals at dusk to premidnight sectors during the intense geomagnetic storm of 17 March 2015. At dusk sector (Indian longitudes), a rapid uplift of equatorial F layer to >550 km and development of intense equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) were observed. These EPBs were found to extend up to 27.13°N and 25.98°S magnetic dip latitudes indicating their altitude development to ~1670 km at apex. In contrast, at few degrees east in the premidnight sector (Thailand‐Indonesian longitudes), no significant height rise and/or EPB activity has been observed. The eastward electric field perturbations due to PPEF are greatly dominated at dusk sector despite the existence of background westward ionospheric disturbance dynamo (IDD) fields, whereas they were mostly counter balanced by the IDD fields in the premidnight sector. In situ observations from SWARM‐A and SWARM‐C and Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System satellites detected a large plasma density depletion near Indian equatorial region due to large electrodynamic uplift of F layer to higher than satellite altitudes. Further, this large uplift is found to confine to a narrow longitudinal sector centered on sunset terminator. This study brings out the significantly enhanced equatorial zonal electric field in response to PPEF that is uniquely confined to dusk sector. The responsible mechanisms are discussed in terms of unique electrodynamic conditions prevailing at dusk sector in the presence of convection electric fields associated with the onset of a substorm under southward interplanetary magnetic field Bz.

A new three‐dimensional high‐resolution numerical model to study equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) has been developed. The High‐Resolution Bubble (HIRB) model is developed in a magnetic dipole coordinate system for the equatorial and low‐latitude ionosphere with a spatial resolution of as fine as 1 km. Adopting a higher‐order numerical scheme than those used in the existing models, the HIRB model is capable of reproducing the bifurcation, pinching, and turbulent structures of EPB. From a seeding perturbation resembling large‐scale wave structure (LSWS), EPB grows nonlinearly from the crest of LSWS upwelling, bifurcates at the top of EPB, then becomes turbulent at the topside of the F region. One of the bifurcated EPB is pinched off from the primary EPB and stops growing after pinching. The narrow channel of EPB tends to have a wiggle due to the secondary instability along the wall of EPB. Because of the fringe field effect above and below the EPB, upward drifting low‐density plasma converges toward the F peak altitude, forming a narrow‐depleted channel, and diverges above the peak, forming a flattened top of the EPB. The flattened top which has a steep upward density gradient is so unstable that bifurcation can easily occur even from a very small thermal perturbation. A higher density region between the bifurcated EPB moves downward due to westward polarization electric field. The EPB is pinched off when it reaches the wall of the primary EPB. It is concluded that turbulent plume‐like irregularities can be spontaneously generated only from large‐scale perturbation at the bottomside F region.

The relationship between sunset terminators and the onset of radar backscatter plumes associated with equatorial spread F (ESF) observed with the 47‐MHz Equatorial Atmosphere Radar from October 2002 to April 2004 is discussed. Almost all irregularity echoes began to appear at or before sunset time at the altitude of the apex of the geomagnetic field line connected with the observed area, and the onset time of more than half of the events corresponded exactly to apex sunset time. This tendency should be due to two causes: (1) the rapid change of the evening zonal electric field and (2) damping of 3‐m scale irregularities by the solar radiation before the apex sunset.

[1] We report simultaneous observations of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) and field-aligned irregularities (FAIs) in the F region using two all-sky airglow imagers and the middle and upper atmosphere (MU) radar. MSTIDs propagating southwestward were observed simultaneously in 630-nm airglow images over Sakata (39.0°N, 139.9°E) and Shigaraki (34.9°N, 136.1°E), Japan, on the night of 16 June 2004. By using all-sky images over both sites, we estimated the altitude of the airglow layer to be 260 km by the triangulation method. During the MSTID event, FAIs in the F region were observed by making multibeam measurements with the MU radar at Shigaraki. In order to investigate the spatial relationship between the MSTIDs and FAIs, the FAIs were mapped onto the 630-nm airglow layer (altitude, 260 km) along the geomagnetic field lines. We found that FAIs with an intense (weak) signal-to-noise ratio coincided with the airglow depletion (enhancement) caused by the MSTIDs. FAI velocity obtained from a combination of the Doppler velocities on the three radar beams oscillated in the northwest-southeast direction, with an amplitude of approximately 82 m/s. The FAI velocity was northwestward (southeastward) at the airglow depletion (enhancement). The directions of the FAI velocity were consistent with those of the E Â B drifts caused by the polarized electric fields associated with the MSTIDs. The northeastward polarized electric field at the airglow depletion region strengthened the background eastward effective electric field and drove the gradient drift instability generating FAIs. This might be the reason why the FAIs preferred to occur at the airglow depletion region.Citation: Otsuka, Y., K. Shiokawa, T. Ogawa, T. Yokoyama, and M. Yamamoto (2009), Spatial relationship of nighttime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances and F region field-aligned irregularities observed with two spaced all-sky airglow imagers and the middle and upper atmosphere radar,