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Longitudinal variation of F region electron density and thermospheric zonal wind caused by atmospheric tides
Author(s) -
Lühr Hermann,
Häusler Kathrin,
Stolle Claudia
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 - 10.1029/2007gl030639
Subject(s) - sunset , noon , morning , atmospheric sciences , thermosphere , anomaly (physics) , geology , atmospheric tide , ionosphere , electron density , latitude , climatology , environmental science , geodesy , geophysics , physics , electron , condensed matter physics , astronomy , quantum mechanics
Simultaneous observations of the electron density and the zonal wind obtained by the CHAMP satellite at 400 km are used to study systematic longitudinal variations. The time period selected is August–September 2004 allowing observations at pre‐noon and post‐sunset hours. The equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) and the zonal delta‐wind (deviation from zonal average) show a persistent and dominant 4‐peaked longitudinal variation. We interpret this structure as caused by the wavenumber‐3 nonmigrating diurnal tide (DE3). The EIA and the zonal delta‐wind exhibit extrema at about the same longitudes. But, while the intensifications of the EIA and the delta‐wind are in phase during the evening hours, they are out of phase in the morning. Possible coupling mechanisms are investigated.