
Interdisciplinary scientists gather for plasma structure workshop
Author(s) -
Sojka Jan J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/98eo00072
Subject(s) - sporadic e propagation , middle latitudes , plasma , instability , physics , geophysics , radar , rocket (weapon) , ionosphere , polarization (electrochemistry) , plasma instability , geology , meteorology , atmospheric sciences , computational physics , aerospace engineering , mechanics , engineering , chemistry , quantum mechanics
Two of the most exciting papers presented at the Third Peaceful Valley Workshop were on the nature of plasma structure found in the nighttime midlatitude E and F regions. The first was from a coordinated rocket campaign called Sporadic E Experiment over Kyushu (SEEK) dedicated to the understanding of puzzling quasi‐periodic radar echoes that have been detected in association with sporadic E layers. In‐situ probes on two rockets measured localized electric fields as large as 20 mV/m, confirming theoretical predictions of strong polarization processes that may result from wavelike distortions imposed on normally stratified sporadic E layers. An unexpected result was the discovery of a large localized wind of 150 m/s at E region altitudes and the associated velocity shear, which was likely to lead to Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability.