ALBERT

Notes: Abstract Observations made by the Hinotori satellite have been analysed to determine the yearly variations of the electron density and electron temperature in the low-latitude topside ionosphere. The observations reveal the existence of an equinoctial asymmetry in the topside electron density at low latitudes, i.e. the density is higher at one equinox than at the other. The asymmetry is hemisphere-dependent with the higher electron density occurring at the March equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and at the September equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. The asymmetry becomes stronger with increasing latitude in both hemispheres. The behaviour of the asymmetry has no significant longitudinal and magnetic activity variations. A mechanism for the equinoctial asymmetry has been investigated using CTIP (coupled thermosphere ionosphere plasmasphere model). The model results reproduce the observed equinoctial asymmetry and suggest that the asymmetry is caused by the north-south imbalance of the thermosphere and ionosphere at the equinoxes due to the slow response of the thermosphere arising from the effects of the global thermospheric circulation. The observations also show that the relationship between the electron density and electron temperature is different for daytime and nighttime. During daytime the yearly variation of the electron temperature has negative correlation with the electron density, except at magnetic latitudes lower than 10°. At night, the correlation is positive.

Notes: Abstract We present a comparison of the electron density and temperature behaviour in the ionosphere and plasmasphere measured by the Millstone Hill incoherent-scatter radar and the instruments on board of the EXOS-D satellite with numerical model calculations from a time-dependent mathematical model of the Earth’s ionosphere and plasmasphere during the geomagnetically quiet and storm period on 20/30 January, 1993. We have evaluated the value of the additional heating rate that should be added to the normal photoelectron heating in the electron energy equation in the daytime plasmasphere region above 5000 km along the magnetic field line to explain the high electron temperature measured by the instruments on board of the EXOS-D satellite within the Millstone Hill magnetic field flux tube in the Northern Hemisphere. The additional heating brings the measured and modelled electron temperatures into agreement in the plasmasphere and into very large disagreement in the ionosphere if the classical electron heat flux along magnetic field line is used in the model. A new approach, based on a new effective electron thermal conductivity coefficient along the magnetic field line, is presented to model the electron temperature in the ionosphere and plasmasphere. This new approach leads to a heat flux which is less than that given by the classical Spitzer-Harm theory. The evaluated additional heating of electrons in the plasmasphere and the decrease of the thermal conductivity in the topside ionosphere and the greater part of the plasmasphere found for the first time here allow the model to accurately reproduce the electron temperatures observed by the instruments on board the EXOS-D satellite in the plasmasphere and the Millstone Hill incoherent-scatter radar in the ionosphere. The effects of the daytime additional plasmaspheric heating of electrons on the electron temperature and density are small at the F-region altitudes if the modified electron heat flux is used. The deviations from the Boltzmann distribution for the first five vibrational levels of N2(v) and O2(v) were calculated. The present study suggests that these deviations are not significant at the first vibrational levels of N2 and O2 and the second level of O2, and the calculated distributions of N2(v) and O2(v) are highly non-Boltzmann at vibrational levels v 〉 2. The resulting effect of N2(v 〉 0) and O2(v 〉 0) on NmF2 is the decrease of the calculated daytime NmF2 up to a factor of 1.5. The modelled electron temperature is very sensitive to the electron density, and this decrease in electron density results in the increase of the calculated daytime electron temperature up to about 580 K at the F2 peak altitude giving closer agreement between the measured and modelled electron temperatures. Both the daytime and night-time densities are not reproduced by the model without N2(v 〉 0) and O2(v 〉 0), and inclusion of vibrationally excited N2 and O2 brings the model and data into better agreement.

Notes: Abstract Electron temperature observed by the Hinotori satellite with the low inclination at the height of \sim600 km was studied in terms of local time, season, latitude, magnetic declination and solar flux intensity during a 16-month period from 1981 to 1982. The electron temperatures show steep rise in the early morning (well known as morning overshoot), decrease after that and again increase at \sim18 hours (hereafter named as evening overshoot). Generally the morning overshoot becomes more enhanced in the winter hemisphere and for higher solar fluxes. The evening overshoot becomes more pronounced in the mid-latitude in all seasons and more enhanced in the winter hemisphere in the same way as the morning overshoot. A difference is seen between 210°-285° and 285°-360° longitudes where magnetic declination is different. The longitudinal dependence of electron temperature indicates that the neutral wind also contributes to the thermal structure in the low latitude ionosphere.

Notes: Abstract Annual and seasonal variations in the low-latitude topside ionosphere are investigated using observations made by the Hinotori satellite and the Sheffield University Plasmasphere Ionosphere Model (SUPIM). The observed electron densities at 600 km altitude show a strong annual anomaly at all longitudes. The average electron densities of conjugate latitudes within the latitude range ±25° are higher at the December solstice than at the June solstice by about 100% during daytime and 30% during night-time. Model calculations show that the annual variations in the neutral gas densities play important roles. The model values obtained from calculations with inputs for the neutral densities obtained from MSIS86 reproduce the general behaviour of the observed annual anomaly. However, the differences in the modelled electron densities at the two solstices are only about 30% of that seen in the observed values. The model calculations suggest that while the differences between the solstice values of neutral wind, resulting from the coupling of the neutral gas and plasma, may also make a significant contribution to the daytime annual anomaly, the E × B drift velocity may slightly weaken the annual anomaly during daytime and strengthen the anomaly during the post-sunset period. It is suggested that energy sources, other than those arising from the 6% difference in the solar EUV fluxes at the two solstices due to the change in the Sun-Earth distance, may contribute to the annual anomaly. Observations show strong seasonal variations at the solstices, with the electron density at 600 km altitude being higher in the summer hemisphere than in the winter hemisphere, contrary to the behaviour in NmF2. Model calculations confirm that the seasonal behaviour results from effects caused by transequatorial component of the neutral wind in the direction summer hemisphere to winter hemisphere.

Notes: Abstract We present a comparison of the observed behavior of the F region ionosphere over Millstone Hill during the geomagnetically quiet and storm period on 16/23 March, 1990, with numerical model calculations from the time-dependent mathematical model of the Earth’s ionosphere and plasmasphere. The effects of vibrationally excited N2(v) and O2(v) on the electron density and temperature are studied using the N2(v) and O2(v) Boltzmann and non-Boltzmann distribution assumptions. The deviations from the Boltzmann distribution for the first five vibrational levels of N2(v) and O2(v) were calculated. The present study suggests that these deviations are not significant at vibrational levels v = 1 and 2, and the calculated distributions of N2(v) and O2(v) are highly non-Boltzmann at vibrational levels v 〉 2. The N2(v) and O2(v) non-Boltzmann distribution assumption leads to the decrease of the calculated daytime NmF2 up to a factor of 1.44 (maximum value) in comparison with the N2(v) and O2(v) Boltzmann distribution assumption. The resulting effects of N2(v 〉 0) and O2(v) 〉 0) on the NmF2 is the decrease of the calculated daytime NmF2 up to a factor of 2.8 (maximum value) for Boltzmann populations of N2(v) and O2(v) and up to a factor of 3.5 (maximum value) for non-Boltzmann populations of N2(v) and O2(v). This decrease in electron density results in the increase of the calculated daytime electron temperature up to about 1040/1410 K (maximum value) at the F2 peak altitude giving closer agreement between the measured and modeled electron temperatures. Both the daytime and nighttime densities are not reproduced by the model without N2(v 〉 0) and O2(v 〉 0), and inclusion of vibrationally excited N2 and O2 brings the model and data into better agreement. The effects of vibrationally excited O2 and N2 on the electron density and temperature are most pronounced during daytime.

Notes: An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source for space simulation of plasma and other related phenomena in the laboratory has been developed. A total of forty-eight small EUV lamps are put together to give a radiation diameter of more than 30 cm. The intensity of this lamp at the hydrogen Lyman-alpha line is more than twenty five times stronger than sunlight at the same wavelength and at a distance of about 30 cm from the source. The source is capable of emitting EUV radiations from 110 nm to the longer wavelengths, either continuously or in pulses, and has been used to produce a plasma of 105 els/cm3 when the pressure of NO gas in the chamber was 10−4 Torr. Since this plasma is extremely calm and fairly Maxwellian, it can be used to study the electron collection mechanism of a probe in a collision dominant medium. The source was also utilized to study the interaction between vibrationally excited nitrogen molecules and thermal electrons.