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Height‐resolved Joule heating rates in the high‐latitude E region and the influence of neutral winds
Author(s) -
Thayer J. P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/97ja02536
Subject(s) - joule heating , atmospheric sciences , electric field , thermosphere , altitude (triangle) , environmental science , joule effect , electric heating , ionosphere , earth's magnetic field , stochastic drift , latitude , joule (programming language) , meteorology , geophysics , physics , materials science , geodesy , magnetic field , geology , thermodynamics , geometry , mathematics , power (physics) , statistics , quantum mechanics , composite material
Height‐resolved and height‐integrated estimates of the Joule heating rate in the high‐latitude E region that include the effects of the neutral wind have been derived from measurements made by the Sondrestrom incoherent‐scatter radar. Analyzed in detail are two Sondrestrom radar data sets that represent solar minimum, daytime conditions with periods of moderate to strong geomagnetic activity. These measurements show much more structure in the height‐resolved Joule heating rate when neutral winds are included in the analysis. The neutral wind impact was present during all periods of elevated Joule heating and displayed an altitude‐dependent influence that led to both positive and negative contributions within the E region. Most often, the wind impact was to create a much narrower region of Joule heating. The influence of the neutral wind on the height‐integrated Joule heating rate from 90 to 140 km was significant, at times, with observed reductions of 40% and observed enhancements of as much as 400%. However, the height‐integrated Joule heating rate often did not reflect the degree of neutral wind influence on the local Joule heating rate because the altitude‐dependent behavior of the wind would tend to cancel out during the height‐integration process. Evidence of electric field behavior controlling the neutral wind influence on the Joule heating rate was also observed. During directional changes in the electric field, the neutral winds tended to enhance the Joule heating rate, while directionally steady electric fields resulted in an overall reduction of the Joule heating rate by the neutral wind.

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