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Detailed Reference Information |
Crain, D.J., Heelis, R.A. and Bailey, G.J. (1993). Effects of electrical coupling on equatorial ionospheric plasma motions: When is the F region a dominant driver in the low-latitude dynamo?. Journal of Geophysical Research 98: doi: 10.1029/92JA02195. issn: 0148-0227. |
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Previous studies of the low-latitude atmospheric dynamo have concluded that the E region dynamo is the principal source of electric fields during the day, with the F region dynamo being of significant importance in the postsunset period. By computing field line integrals of the Hall and Pedersen conductivities and wind-driven currents from a sophisticated F region model, we find that the F region may provide a significant contribution to the dynamo electric field at all local times in a limited altitude and latitude region. Though the peak value of the Pedersen conductivity in the E region is larger than the peak value of the F region Pedersen conductivity, the field line integrated Pedersen conductivity of the F region can be significantly larger than the integrated Pedersen conductivity of the E region. This effect is most pronounced for low-latitude flux tubes with apex altitudes slightly above the F peak. This is due to the unique geometry of the equatorial geomagnetic field in which the field line path length through the F region is much greater than the field line path length through the E region. This effect decreases with increasing latitude as the field lines become more vertical and the path lengths through the appropriate parts of E and F regions become more comparable. We examine the consequences of this effect upon the low-latitude drifts derived from three dynamo circuit assumptions and compare the results to average drifts observed at Jicamarca, Peru. ¿American Geophysical Union 1993 |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Ionosphere, Equatorial ionosphere, Ionosphere, Modeling and forecasting |
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
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