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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Effect Of Sudden Stratospheric Warmingon Lunar Tidal Modulation Of The Equatorial Electrojet, J. Park, H. Luhr, M. Kunze, Bela G. Fejer, K. W. Min
Effect Of Sudden Stratospheric Warmingon Lunar Tidal Modulation Of The Equatorial Electrojet, J. Park, H. Luhr, M. Kunze, Bela G. Fejer, K. W. Min
Bela G. Fejer
[1] Using the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) peak current intensity as deduced from CHAMP magnetic observations from the years 2001 through 2009, we investigated the relationship between sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) and lunitidal signatures in the tropical ionosphere. There is a practically one-to-one correspondence between midwinter SSW periods and the strongest 13 day modulation of the EEJ strength as observed by CHAMP. That is, all the midwinter SSW periods from December 2001 to August 2009 were accompanied by an enhanced 13 day modulation of the EEJ strength. No other geophysical phenomenon brought about as strong a 13 day modulation as those …
Evolution Of Equatorial Ionospheric Bubbles During A Large Auroral Electrojet Increase In The Recovery Phase Of A Magnetic Storm, M. J. Keskinen, S. L. Ossakow, Bela G. Fejer, J. Emmert
Evolution Of Equatorial Ionospheric Bubbles During A Large Auroral Electrojet Increase In The Recovery Phase Of A Magnetic Storm, M. J. Keskinen, S. L. Ossakow, Bela G. Fejer, J. Emmert
Bela G. Fejer
[1] We present a model and observations of the evolution of equatorial ionospheric bubbles during a large auroral electrojet (AE) index increase in the recovery phase of a geomagnetic storm. Using a three-dimensional time-dependent numerical simulation model, we find, for the 19–21 October 1998 storm, that the equatorial bubble evolution is different during storm time as compared to quiet time conditions. We have found that the storm time vertical drift in conjunction with reduced off-equatorial E region shorting is the primary mechanism that distinguishes the large AE increase recovery phase storm time evolution from the quiet time case. Comparison of …
Auroral Electrojet Irregularity Theory And Experiment: A Criticalreview Of Present Understanding And Future Directions, J. D. Sahr, Bela G. Fejer
Auroral Electrojet Irregularity Theory And Experiment: A Criticalreview Of Present Understanding And Future Directions, J. D. Sahr, Bela G. Fejer
Bela G. Fejer
We review the experimental observations of meter scale plasma irregularities in the auroral E region and the status of their theoretical understanding. Most of the experimental data is derived from VHF radar scatter experiments, but sounding rockets also provide crucial information not obtainable from radars. Linear theories correctly predict the altitude of occurence, strong magnetic aspect sensitivity, marginal instability, and typical phase velocities. Subsequent nonlinear theories have been developed to account for other observed features but with less satisfying application. Further understanding of auroral electrojet irregularities is impeded by precision limitations of existing instruments, by radar data which may seem …
Electric Field And Plasmadensity Measurements In The Strongly-Driven Daytime Equatorial Electrojet: 1. The Unstablelayer And Gradient Drift Waves, R. F. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, E. Kudeki, Bela G. Fejer, K. D. Baker
Electric Field And Plasmadensity Measurements In The Strongly-Driven Daytime Equatorial Electrojet: 1. The Unstablelayer And Gradient Drift Waves, R. F. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, E. Kudeki, Bela G. Fejer, K. D. Baker
Bela G. Fejer
Electric field and plasma density instrumentation on board a sounding rocket launched from Punta Lobos, Peru, detected intense electrostatic waves indicative of plasma instabilities in the daytime equatorial electrojet. Simultaneous measurements taken by the Jicamarca radar showed strong 3-m type 1 electrojet echoes as well as evidence of kilometer scale horizontally propagating waves. The in situ electric field wave spectra displayed three markedly different height regions within the unstable layer: (1) a two-stream region on the topside between 103 and 111 km where the electron current was considered to be strongest, (2) a gradient drift region between 90 and 106.5 …
The Condor Equatorial Electrojetcampaign: Radar Results, E. Kudeki, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley, C. Hanuise
The Condor Equatorial Electrojetcampaign: Radar Results, E. Kudeki, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley, C. Hanuise
Bela G. Fejer
A review of the experimental and theoretical background to the Condor equatorial electrojet campaign is followed by the presentation and discussion of VHF radar interferometer and HF radar backscatter data taken concurrently with two rocket in situ experiments reported in companion papers (Pfaff et al., this issue (a, b). Both experiments were conducted in strongly driven periods with the on-line radar interferometer displaying signatures of what has been interpreted in earlier radar work (Kudeki et al., 1982) as kilometer scale gradient drift waves. Low-frequency density fluctuations detected by in situ rocket sensors confirm the earlier interpretation. VHF radar/rocket data comparisons …
Electric Field And Plasmadensity Measurements In The Strongly-Driven Daytime Equatorial Electrojet: 2. Two-Streamwaves, R. F. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, E. Kudeki, Bela G. Fejer, K. D. Baker
Electric Field And Plasmadensity Measurements In The Strongly-Driven Daytime Equatorial Electrojet: 2. Two-Streamwaves, R. F. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, E. Kudeki, Bela G. Fejer, K. D. Baker
Bela G. Fejer
Both primary and secondary two-stream (Farley-Buneman) waves have been detected by in situ electric field and plasma density probes in the strongly driven daytime equatorial electrojet over Peru. Simultaneous Jicamarca radar observations showed strong vertical and oblique 3-m type 1 echoes, also indicative of the two-stream mechanism. The rocket data show the two-stream region on the topside of the unstable layer to be situated between 103 and 111 km where the electron current was the strongest. This region was characterized by broadband plasma oscillations extending past 1 kHz in the rocket frame. Furthermore, above 106.5 km, where the electron density …
Theory Of Spectral Asymmetries And Nonlinear Currentsin The Equatorial Electrojet, E. Kudeki, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
Theory Of Spectral Asymmetries And Nonlinear Currentsin The Equatorial Electrojet, E. Kudeki, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
Bela G. Fejer
The spectral up-down asymmetry of type 1 echoes returned from the equatorial electrojet irregularities is shown to be a consequence of the nonlinear development of the horizontally propagating large scale primary waves which dominate the k spectrum of the electrojet turbulence. The waves reduce the vertical electric polarization field of the electrojet and suffer second harmonic distortion as they grow. These effects together could cause an asymmetry exceeding 20% between the upward and downward components of the relative (to the ions) electron velocity associated with the primary waves. This asymmetry, which changes its direction from day to night as does …
Electric Field And Plasma Density Measurements In The Auroral Electrojet, R. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, Bela G. Fejer, E. Kudeki, C. W. Carlson, A. Pedersen, B. Hausler
Electric Field And Plasma Density Measurements In The Auroral Electrojet, R. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, Bela G. Fejer, E. Kudeki, C. W. Carlson, A. Pedersen, B. Hausler
Bela G. Fejer
Intense electrostatic waves in the auroral E region have been detected simultaneously on two payloads launched in a mother-daughter configuration from Kiruna, Sweden. The data sets comprise electric field and density measurements from the ambient (dc) conditions to fluctuations as high as 50 kHz. The dc electric field measured by both payloads was 54 mV/m northwest, which corresponded to an electron drift velocity of 1080 m/s. This electric field drove two-stream waves perpendicular to both B and E observed by both spacecraft throughout an altitude region which agrees quite well with the range predicted by linear two-stream theory. The power …
Long Wavelength Irregularities In The Equatorial Electrojet, E. Kudeki, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
Long Wavelength Irregularities In The Equatorial Electrojet, E. Kudeki, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
Bela G. Fejer
We have used the radar interferometer technique at Jicamarca to study in detail irregularities with wavelengths of a few kilometers generated in the unstable equatorial electrojet plasma during strong type 1 conditions. In-situ rocket observations of the same instability process are discussed in a companion paper. These large scale primary waves travel essentially horizontally and have large amplitudes. The vertical electron drift velocities driven by the horizontal wave electric fields reach or exceed the ion-acoustic velocity even though the horizontal phase velocity of the wave is considerably smaller. A straightforward extension to the long wavelength regime of the usual linear …
In-Situ Measurements Ofwave Electric Fields In The Equatorial Electrojet, R. C. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, Bela G. Fejer, N. C. Maynard, K. D. Baker
In-Situ Measurements Ofwave Electric Fields In The Equatorial Electrojet, R. C. Pfaff, M. C. Kelley, Bela G. Fejer, N. C. Maynard, K. D. Baker
Bela G. Fejer
Electric field wave measurements have been performed on two sounding rockets in the equatorial ionosphere. During a daytime flight from Chilca, Peru, intense electrostatic waves were detected on the upward directed electron density gradient. During a nighttime flight from Kwajalein Atoll, similar waves were detected on a downward directed gradient. These results are in agreement with a gradient drift instability explanation of the generation of the waves. The wave amplitudes were as high as 5 mV/m implying perturbation drifts comparable to the driving drift velocities. Power spectra from the turbulent region show a peak at long wavelengths, followed by a …
Reply (To "Comment On 'The Absolute Scattering Cross Section At50 Mhz Of Equatorial Electrojet Irregularities' By Farley Et Al." By N. D'Angelo), D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
Reply (To "Comment On 'The Absolute Scattering Cross Section At50 Mhz Of Equatorial Electrojet Irregularities' By Farley Et Al." By N. D'Angelo), D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
Bela G. Fejer
No abstract provided.
The Absolute Scattering Cross Section At 50 Mhz Ofequatorial Electrojet Irregularities, D. T. Farley, H. M. Ierkic, Bela G. Fejer
The Absolute Scattering Cross Section At 50 Mhz Ofequatorial Electrojet Irregularities, D. T. Farley, H. M. Ierkic, Bela G. Fejer
Bela G. Fejer
We have made carefully calibrated radar scattering measurements by using the large 50-MHz Jicamarca antenna. Typical results from the altitudes of maximum echo power for the vertically directed beam are σradar ∼1–2 × 10−10 m−1 for strong daytime electrojet conditions with type 1 irregularities present, with values a factor of 10 or so smaller during moderate conditions when only type 2 are observed. These cross sections, which are very large in comparison with those for incoherent scatter (σradar ≃5 × 10−18 m−1 for an electron density of 1011 m−3), are not nearly large enough, however, to cause pseudo-absorption events on …
The Dependence On Zenith Angle Of The Strength Of 3-Meter Equatorial Electrojet Irregularities, H. M. Ierkic, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley
The Dependence On Zenith Angle Of The Strength Of 3-Meter Equatorial Electrojet Irregularities, H. M. Ierkic, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley
Bela G. Fejer
Radar measurements in Peru were used to deduce the zenith angle dependence of the scattering cross section of plasma irregularities generated by instabilities in the equatorial electrojet. The irregularities probed by the 50 MHz Jicamarca radar had a wavelength of 3m. The cross section for the type 2 irregularities was isotropic in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field, while the cross section for the stronger type 1 irregularities varied with zenith angle at a rate of approximately 0.3 dB/degree; the horizontally traveling waves were more than 100 times stronger than those traveling vertically.
Type I Radar Echoes From Theequatorial Electrojet With Double Peaked Doppler Spectra, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley, P. Johnston, B. B. Balsley
Type I Radar Echoes From Theequatorial Electrojet With Double Peaked Doppler Spectra, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley, P. Johnston, B. B. Balsley
Bela G. Fejer
Normal type 1 radar echoes obtained from relatively large zenith angles have a power spectrum with a single narrow peak whose Doppler shift corresponds approximately to the acoustic velocity in the medium. On some occasions, however, this single maximum splits into two distinct peaks, separated in phase velocity on one occasion by 270 m/s. This bifurcation is most easily observed at large zenith angles during daytime when a narrow antenna beam is used. It has also been seen in a daytime experiment in which radars at Jicamarca and Huancayo simultaneously probed the same region from two different radar zenith angles. …
Radar Observations Of Two Dimensional Turbulencein The Equatorial Electrojet, 3. Nighttime Observations Of Type I Waves, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer, B. B. Balsley
Radar Observations Of Two Dimensional Turbulencein The Equatorial Electrojet, 3. Nighttime Observations Of Type I Waves, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer, B. B. Balsley
Bela G. Fejer
The large vertically directed 50-MHz radar at Jicamarca has sufficient sensitivity to study nighttime echoes from the equatorial electrojet in detail with good resolution. Here we concentrate on type 1 (‘two-stream’) echoes. We find that (1) these echoes sometimes dominate the spectrum (which is never the case in daytime for a vertically directed radar), (2) they are observed over a much wider range of altitudes than they are during daytime, (3) they show an asymmetry which reverses from day to night (downgoing waves are more common at night), (4) the magnitude of the mean Doppler shift appears to increase somewhat …
The Effect Of The Gradient-Drift Term On Type I Electrojet Irregularities, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
The Effect Of The Gradient-Drift Term On Type I Electrojet Irregularities, D. T. Farley, Bela G. Fejer
Bela G. Fejer
We hypothesize that type 1 VHF radar echoes can only be observed when the electrojet plasma is linearly unstable at half the radar wavelength and that further, for reasons not yet understood, the phase velocity of the unstable waves always corresponds to the threshold conditions for instability, even when the destabilizing forces (electron drift and plasma density gradient) exceed the threshold. This phase velocity, which produces the Doppler shift of the radar echoes, is usually close to the ion acoustic velocity of the medium but can differ from it to some extent because of the effect of the density gradient. …
Oblique Vhf Spectral Studies Ofthe Equatorial Electrojet, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley, B. B. Balsley, R. F. Woodman
Oblique Vhf Spectral Studies Ofthe Equatorial Electrojet, Bela G. Fejer, D. T. Farley, B. B. Balsley, R. F. Woodman
Bela G. Fejer
A new narrow-beam antenna at the Jicamarca Observatory permits oblique (zenith angle, 25°) radar spectral studies of the electrojet with an altitude resolution down to 1.1 km. Only daytime observations are possible presently, however. The general altitude variations in spectral shape observed are consistent with linear instability theory, if the effect of recombination is included. The height at which the mean Doppler shift of the echo maximizes, however, is about 4 km higher than one would expect on the basis of electrojet models. An increase in the assumed collision frequency would remove the discrepancy. Other data presented strongly suggest that …