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Thermal response of the f‐region ionosphere for conditions of large HF‐induced electron‐temperature enhancements
Author(s) -
Newman A. L.,
Carlson H. C.,
Mantas G. P.,
Djuth F. T.
Publication year - 1988
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/gl015i004p00311
Subject(s) - ionosphere , electron temperature , electron , atmospheric sciences , thermal , earth's magnetic field , f region , physics , radio wave , thermal conduction , computational physics , geophysics , magnetic field , atomic physics , materials science , environmental science , meteorology , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
Under current solar minimum conditions at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, large (∼1000–2000 K) enhancements in electron temperature are observed in the winter, nighttime ionosphere when high‐power 3‐MHz radio waves reflect near the F region peak. Computational modeling has been performed to determine the cause of the unusually large temperature enhancements. The results indicate that low collisional cooling rates combined with strong thermal conduction along geomagnetic field lines play a key role in elevating F region temperatures and spreading the electron temperature enhancements far outside of the region where radio wave energy is deposited. Thus, the dramatically large temperature enhancements are attributable primarily to expected low cooling rates of the electron gas, rather than unexpectedly high heating rates.