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Effect of Meteoric Dust on the Effective Recombination Coefficient in the Lower Ionosphere
Author(s) -
Parthasarathy R.,
Rai D. B.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1002/rds19661121401
Subject(s) - ionization , ion , altitude (triangle) , electron , ionosphere , atomic physics , recombination , physics , atmospheric sciences , electron density , chemistry , nuclear physics , geophysics , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , gene
The effect of meteoric dust particles on the steady‐state distribution of electrons and ions in the lower ionosphere (50‐90 km) has been investigated. A formal expression for the effective recombination coefficient has also been derived, containing the terms for the rates of capture of electrons and positive and negative ions by the dust. These capture rates are derived by an extension of Natanson's theory of aerosol charging by the capture of ions. The altitude dependence of these coefficients is mainly determined by the altitude distribution of the dust concentration. It is found that only particles with radii larger than about a tenth of a micron play a significant role. The numerical values of the effective recombination coefficient for several altitudes in the D region have been compared with the values empirically determined by us from multiple‐frequency radiowave absorption data in the auroral zone, and found to be in satisfactory argeement. It is also shown that the role of dust concentration in the D region is of major significance when the ionization density is weak to moderate. For a strongly ionized D region, the role is significant only if the dust concentration is higher than is currently believed probable.