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Heating of the Ionosphere and Attenuation of the Equatorial Hydromagnetic Waves
Author(s) -
Dubs C. W.,
Prasad B.,
Sen H. K.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs004i009p00843
Subject(s) - ionosphere , physics , joule heating , ionospheric heater , dynamo , attenuation , computational physics , drag , geophysics , collision frequency , electron , mechanics , atmospheric sciences , magnetic field , optics , quantum mechanics
Effects of the velocity dependence of collision cross sections (momentum and energy transfer in a 3‐component ionospheric gas) on the transversely propagated hydromagnetic waves at the equator are studied. The ordinary mode is found to be profoundly affected, but the extraordinary mode is not. These effects should be important in estimating joule heat including mode‐mode coupling and reflections in a vertically stratified ionosphere. It is also shown that the space‐charge electric field due to neutral wind drag in the dynamo region of the ionosphere provides adequate energy to the electrons to compensate for their cooling by inelastic collisions with neutral molecules.