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Electric fields and conductivity in the nighttime E‐region: A new magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐atmosphere coupling effect
Author(s) -
Banks P. M.,
Yasuhara F.
Publication year - 1978
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/gl005i012p01047
Subject(s) - ionosphere , electric field , atmosphere (unit) , magnetosphere , geophysics , atmospheric sciences , physics , coupling (piping) , precipitation , electron precipitation , computational physics , environmental science , meteorology , magnetic field , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
Calculations have been made of the effects of intense poleward‐directed electric fields upon the nighttime ionospheric E‐region. The results show the Pedersen and Hall conductivities are substantially changed, thereby decreasing the ionospheric electrical load seen by magnetospheric sources. It appears that relatively large electric fields can exist in the absence of accompanying large field‐aligned currents, as long as the underlying ionosphere remains in darkness and/or energetic particle precipitation is absent.