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High altitude bottomside bubbles?
Author(s) -
Hanson W. B.,
Urquhart A. L.
Publication year - 1994
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 - 10.1029/94gl01580
Subject(s) - equator , geophysics , atmospheric sciences , altitude (triangle) , geology , polar , bubble , ion , magnetic dip , geodesy , physics , latitude , mechanics , astronomy , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
The ion drift meter on the polar orbiting DMSP F‐10 spacecraft observed bubble‐like features near the magnetic equator that have remarkably continuous transitions in ion concentration ( N i ) and drift velocity, where there is a high positive correlation between upward velocity and decreased N i . This is in marked contrast to the virtually discontinuous transitions that are characteristics of most bubbles. We conclude that these new features were probably observed on the bottomside of the F‐layer at DMSP altitudes (750–850 km), much higher than normally accepted values. These observations were made during Feb.‐Mar.‐Apr. of 1991, when N i exceeded 10 6 cm −3 on nearly every equator crossing.