Open AccessWhistler evidence of downward movement of ionization at low latitudes
Author(s) -
S. K. Di.Kshit
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
mausam
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0252-9416
DOI - 10.54302/mausam.v35i4.2267
Subject(s) - whistler , ionization , ambipolar diffusion , latitude , electron , physics , atmospheric sciences , dispersion (optics) , ionosphere , atomic physics , astrophysics , geophysics , computational physics , ion , astronomy , optics , quantum mechanics
The entire path of whistlers observed at our low latitude field station Nainital lies well within the upper boundary of the F-region. Large number of whistlers recorded during nighttime at Nainital show a smooth decrease in dispersion with time. This decrease in dispersion is interpreted in terms of corresponding decrease in the electron content of tubes of ionization. The computed result shows a downward flux of ionization at the base level of 500 km to be in the order of 2.8 X 108 electrons /cm2/sec.
It is also shown that the ambipolar diffusion alone cannot explain the transport of ionization in the topside F-region at low latitudes but some other processes such as E x B drifts are also important.