Observation of isotropic electron temperature in the turbulent E region
Using EISCAT radar data, we find that electrons are strongly heated in the magnetic field-line direction during high electric field events. The remote site data show that the electron temperature increases in almost the same way in the field-perpendicular direction; electron heating by E region plas...
Published in: | Annales Geophysicae |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2001
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-19-11-2001 https://doaj.org/article/c6839a824bef4eedaafe66dd051389a5 |
Summary: | Using EISCAT radar data, we find that electrons are strongly heated in the magnetic field-line direction during high electric field events. The remote site data show that the electron temperature increases in almost the same way in the field-perpendicular direction; electron heating by E region plasma turbulence is isotropic. We discuss the implications of our observation for the "plasmon"-electron as well as the wave Joule heating models of the anomalous electron heating in the E region. Key words. Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; plasma temperature and density; plasma waves and instabilities) |
---|