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Dynamics of three‐dimensional ionospheric plasma clouds
Author(s) -
Zalesak S. T.,
Drake J. F.,
Huba J. D.
Publication year - 1988
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/rs023i004p00591
Subject(s) - plasma , cloud computing , physics , radius , computational physics , ionosphere , magnetic field , mechanics , geophysics , computer science , quantum mechanics , computer security , operating system
In this paper we will present the first fully three‐dimensional analytic study of plasma cloud dynamics, as well as computational results based upon a recently developed three‐dimensional electrostatic code. We derive a stability criterion for the large‐scale structuring of an ionospheric cloud based on a water bag model for the special case L z = r c (σ ‖ /σ ⊥ ) 1/2 (here, L z is the half length of the cloud along the magnetic field, r c is the radius of the cloud, and σ ‖,⊥ are the parallel and perpendicular cloud conductivities, respectively). We also present preliminary numerical results of three‐dimensional plasma cloud behavior. We examine the self‐consistent pressure‐induced plasma flow that results from a realistic plasma cloud in a realistic atmosphere in two‐dimensional cylindrical geometry, and the evolution of fully three‐dimensional perturbations of such a cloud.