Effects of Electric Field and Neutral Wind on the Asymmetry of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorKhadka, S. M.
dc.contributor.authorValladares, Cesar E.
dc.contributor.authorSheehan, R.
dc.contributor.authorGerrard, A. J.
dc.contributor.utdAuthorValladares, Cesar E.
dc.date.accessioned2019-06-28T18:08:10Z
dc.date.available2019-06-28T18:08:10Z
dc.date.created2018-04-17
dc.descriptionFull text access from Treasures at UT Dallas is restricted to current UTD affiliates (use the provided link to the article). Non UTD affiliates will find the web address for this item by clicking the Show full item record link and copying the "relation.uri" metadata.
dc.description.abstractThe zonal electric field and the meridional neutral wind are the principal drivers that define the geometry and characteristics of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). Here we present the response of the EIA to the variability of the zonal electric field based on measurements of the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) currents and trans-equatorial neutral winds for the generation and control of the asymmetries of the EIA crests of total electron content (TEC) in the western side of the South American continent. The EEJ strengths are determined using a pair of magnetometers. The 24-hr trans-equatorial neutral wind profile is measured using the Second-Generation, Optimized, Fabry-Perot Doppler Imager (SOFDI) located near the geomagnetic equator. The EIA is evaluated using TEC data measured by Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers from the Low-Latitude Ionospheric Sensor Network and several other networks in South America. A physics-based numerical model, Low-Latitude Ionospheric Sector, and SOFDI data are used to study the effects of daytime meridional neutral winds on the consequent evolution of an asymmetry in equatorial TEC anomalies during the afternoon and onward for the first time. We find that the configuration parameters such as strength, shape, amplitude, and latitudinal width of the EIAs are affected by the eastward electric field associated with the EEJ under undisturbed conditions. The asymmetries of EIA crests are observed more frequently during solstices and the September equinox than in the March equinox season. Importantly, this study indicates that the meridional neutral wind plays a very significant role in the development of the EIA asymmetry by transporting the plasma up the field lines. This result suggests that a precise observation of the latitudinal TEC profile at low latitudes can be used to derive the meridional wind. ©2018. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
dc.description.departmentWilliam B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Science Foundation (NSF). Grant Numbers: AGS‐1552161, AGS‐1563025, AGS‐1724133. Office of Naval Research. Grant Number: N‐00014‐17‐1‐2157.
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationKhadka, S. M., C. E. Valladares, R. Sheehan, and A. J. Gerrard. 2018. "Effects of electric field and neutral wind on the asymmetry of equatorial ionization anomaly." Radio Science 53(5): 683-697, doi:10.1029/2017RS006428
dc.identifier.issn0048-6604
dc.identifier.issue5
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10735.1/6621
dc.identifier.volume53
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing Ltd
dc.relation.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2017RS006428
dc.rights©2018 American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
dc.source.journalRadio Science
dc.subjectIonosphere--Equator
dc.subjectThermosphere
dc.subjectEquatorial electrojet
dc.subjectAtmospheric electricity
dc.subjectFabry-Perot interferometers
dc.subjectGeomagnetism
dc.subjectGlobal Positioning System
dc.subjectIonization
dc.subjectSensor networks
dc.subjectElectric fields
dc.subjectWinds
dc.titleEffects of Electric Field and Neutral Wind on the Asymmetry of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly
dc.type.genrearticle

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
CSS-3868-279693.30-LINK.pdf
Size:
165.05 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Link to Article
Download

Collections

CSS Research