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Interpretation of auroral radar experiments using a kinetic theory of the two‐stream instability
Author(s) -
Schlegel Kristian
Publication year - 1983
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/rs018i001p00108
Subject(s) - dispersion relation , instability , radar , physics , computational physics , convection , geophysics , convective instability , electric field , electron , kinetic energy , magnetic field , wavelength , dispersion (optics) , mechanics , optics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , telecommunications , computer science
The evaluation of auroral radar measurements in terms of the Farley‐Buneman instability is reviewed and adjusted to recent observational ( T e > T i ) and theoretical (propagation not exactly perpendicular to the magnetic field, high growth rates of the unstable waves) evidence that applies for the high‐latitude E region. The kinetic dispersion relation of the instability is studied in detail for a wavelength of 1 m in order to facilitate comparisons with the STARE auroral radar. The results of this new approach are compared with the results obtained with the simple dispersion relation which has so far been used to evaluate auroral radar experiments. It is shown that the new method results in considerably higher electron drift velocities in the case of strong convection. This means that with the former simple dispersion relation the electron drift velocities and electric fields have often been underestimated.