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The effect of strong velocity shears on incoherent scatter spectra: A new interpretation of unusual high latitude spectra
Author(s) -
Swartz Wesley E.,
Providakes James F.,
Kelley Michael C.,
Vickrey James F.
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/gl015i012p01341
Subject(s) - incoherent scatter , spectral line , physics , scattering , latitude , computational physics , ion , plasma , optics , astronomy , quantum mechanics
Intense velocity shears that are unresolved within the scattering volume can distort incoherent scatter spectra in ways that could be confused with the effects of non‐Maxwellian plasmas or ion hot spots. These spectra lose the usual double humped characteristic of the more familiar incoherent scatter spectral shapes, and standard analysis (ignoring velocity shears) of such spectra yields severe under estimates of the electron temperature and over estimates of the ion temperature, with an implied, but erroneous, result that T e < T i . High resolution velocity measurements from the HILAT satellite demonstrate that such strong shears do exist at high latitudes.