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Plausible effect of atmospheric tides on the equatorial ionosphere observed by the FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC: Three‐dimensional electron density structures
Author(s) -
Lin C. H.,
Wang W.,
Hagan M. E.,
Hsiao C. C.,
Immel T. J.,
Hsu M. L.,
Liu J. Y.,
Paxton L. J.,
Fang T. W.,
Liu C. H.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2007gl029265
Subject(s) - ionosphere , equinox , airglow , atmospheric sciences , electron density , physics , solar maximum , longitude , cosmic cancer database , f region , aeronomy , geophysics , geology , solar cycle , latitude , solar wind , electron , astrophysics , astronomy , magnetic field , quantum mechanics
The plausible effect of atmospheric tides on the longitudinal structure of the equatorial ionosphere is observed by the FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC (F3/C) constellation during September Equinox, 2006, near solar minimum. The longitudinal structure was first reported in IMAGE satellite airglow observations at the far‐ultraviolet (FUV) 135.6‐nm wavelength during March Equinox, 2002, near solar maximum. The global three‐dimensional ionospheric electron density observed by F3/C shows a prominent four‐peaked wave‐like longitudinal enhancement in the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). The vertical electron density structures observed by F3/C reveal that the feature exists mainly above 250 km altitude indicating that the feature is an F‐region phenomenon. The four longitudinal F‐region enhancements of the EIA peaks may result from a stronger equatorial plasma fountain at each longitude region produced by a stronger F‐region eastward electric field transmitted along the magnetic field lines from E‐region where longitudinal variations in atmospheric tides affect the ionospheric dynamo process.