Model of anomalous electron heating in the <i>E</i> region: 1. Basic theory

Dimant, Y. S.; Milikh, G. M.

doi:10.1029/2002ja009524

Cited by 62 publications

(130 citation statements)

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“…Recent findings on this topic are given in a series of papers by Milikh and Dimant [2002, 2003a, 2003b, who performed a numerical computation of the electron distribution function (EDF) driven by a parallel electric field, whose magnitude was determined based on a heuristic assumption involving the marginal stability of the Farley-Buneman waves and an assumed distribution of wave amplitudes versus angle with the magnetic field. After including various cooling mechanisms, they computed the effective electron temperature for a given E c .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[4] The major concern in the Milikh and Dimant [2003a] model is the heuristic assumption that the RMS value of perpendicular wave electric fields dE ? is on the order of E c , which is in contradiction with in situ rocket electric field measurements, at least for meter-scale waves, which are more accurately measured than waves of decameter scale or longer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…is on the order of E c , which is in contradiction with in situ rocket electric field measurements, at least for meter-scale waves, which are more accurately measured than waves of decameter scale or longer. Specifically, Milikh and Dimant [2003a] …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[5] The model of Milikh and Dimant [2003a] may hold for waves with longer wavelengths. However, measurements of wave electric field at longer wavelengths are limited by in situ sensor attitude uncertainties in the case of rocket measurements and ionospheric refraction of radio signals in the case of radar measurements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[8] In this paper we include the r k n effect in the dispersion relation for the Farley-Buneman/gradient-drift instability and provide parallel electric field (dE k ) estimates based on near-instability threshold aspect angles (as in the work of Milikh and Dimant [2003a]) and the theoretical estimates of dE ? , which is controlled by the free parameter a in (1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high‐latitude E region

Bahcivan

Cosgrove

2010

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] The sources of parallel electric fields (E k ) to explain E region electron heating measurements made by incoherent scatter radars have not been resolved. This paper considers the effect of electron density gradients parallel to the geomagnetic field (r k n) on the Farley-Buneman instability and the resulting change in wave dE k . The dispersion relation including the r k n effect is derived and solved for a set of wave vectors at marginal stability. It is shown that r k n with scales of several kilometers enable propagation of 50 m or longer wavelength waves at large angles (up to 5°) from perpendicularity to the geomagnetic field. The fact that kilometric scales of r k n were previously shown to occur during strong electrojet and that they coincide statistically well with the altitudes of strongest electron heating support the role of these long-wavelength waves in electron heating. Furthermore, unlike the gradient-drift instability, the r k n effect contributes to the growth of the waves with the proper k k sign regardless of the direction of the convection electric field E c ; this makes the r k n effect eligible as a source of electron heating, resulting in the consistent increase of electron temperature with the magnitude of E c . Moreover, it is shown that the inclusion of the r k n effect reduces the discrepancy between the theoretically required perpendicular electric field turbulence (to raise the electron temperature to the measured values) and the in situ rocket measurements.Citation: Bahcivan, H., and R. Cosgrove (2010), On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high-latitude E region,

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high‐latitude E region

Bahcivan

Cosgrove

2010

J. Geophys. Res.

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Elevated electron temperatures around twin sporadic E layers at low latitude: Observations and the case for a plausible link to currents parallel to the geomagnetic field

2013

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[1] We present data from nighttime sounding rocket flights in the low latitude E region. The payloads carried a sweeping Langmuir probe, a plasma impedance probe, and electric field probes. A detailed examination of the plasma density, temperature, and electric field measurements show two strong sporadic E (E s ) layers with very high electron temperatures ( 1000 K) on each side of the upper layer. The lower layer was consistent with the presence of a strong zonal neutral wind shear. The upper layer was strongly influenced by the presence of a strongly negative vertical electric field, with zonal winds and their shears also contributing. A strong downward motion of the plasma from the combined action of the downward electric field and negative zonal wind advected the upper layer far below the region of maximum growth. We have attributed the more puzzling high electron temperatures to frictional heating from parallel currents and shown that the F region nighttime dynamo could easily generate the necessary parallel current densities (1 A m -2 ) near the electron density troughs. The electron temperature was also elevated in the E s layers themselves, implying parallel current densities of the order of 15 A m -2 around the E s peaks. Those parallel currents were attributed to strong Hall current divergences driven by the zonal electric field around the E s peaks.Citation: Barjatya, A., J.-P. St-Maurice, and C. M. Swenson (2013), Elevated electron temperatures around twin sporadic E layers at low latitude: Observations and the case for a plausible link to currents parallel to the geomagnetic field,

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Magnetic aspect sensitivity of high‐latitude E region irregularities measured by the RAX‐2 CubeSat

et al. 2014

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The second Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX‐2) satellite has completed more than 30 conjunction experiments with the Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar chain of incoherent scatter radars in Alaska and Resolute Bay, Canada. Coherent radar echoing occurred during four of the passes: three when E region electron drifts exceeded the ion acoustic speed threshold and one during HF heating of the ionosphere by the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program heater. In this paper, we present the results for the first three passes associated with backscatter from natural irregularities. We analyze, in detail, the largest drift case because the plasma turbulence was the most intense and because the corresponding ground‐to‐space bistatic scattering geometry was the most favorable for magnetic aspect sensitivity analysis. A set of data analysis procedures including interference removal, autocorrelation analysis, and the application of a radar beam deconvolution algorithm mapped the distribution of E region backscatter with 3 km resolution in altitude and ∼0.1° in magnetic aspect angle. To our knowledge, these are the highest resolution altitude‐resolved magnetic aspect sensitivity measurements made at UHF frequencies in the auroral region. In this paper, we show that despite the large electron drift speed of ∼1500 m/s, the magnetic aspect sensitivity of submeter scale irregularities is much higher than previously reported. The root‐mean‐square of the aspect angle distribution varied monotonically between 0.5° and 0.1° for the altitude range 100–110 km. Findings from this single but compelling event suggest that submeter scale waves propagating at larger angles from the main E×B flow direction (secondary waves) have parallel electric fields that are too small to contribute to E region electron heating. It is possible that anomalous electron heating in the auroral electrojet can be explained by (a) the dynamics of those submeter scale waves propagating in the E×B direction (primary waves) or (b) the dynamics of longer wavelengths.

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Model of anomalous electron heating in the E region: 1. Basic theory

Cited by 62 publications

References 48 publications

On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high‐latitude E region

On the generation of large wave parallel electric fields responsible for electron heating in the high‐latitude E region

Elevated electron temperatures around twin sporadic E layers at low latitude: Observations and the case for a plausible link to currents parallel to the geomagnetic field

Magnetic aspect sensitivity of high‐latitude E region irregularities measured by the RAX‐2 CubeSat

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