Observation of isotropic electron temperature in the turbulent E region

• Published in: Annales Geophysicae
• Main Authors: S. Saito, S. C. Buchert, S. Nozawa, R. Fujii
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2001
• Subjects: Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Geophysics. Cosmic physics; QC801-809; EISCAT
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-19-11-2001; https://doaj.org/article/c6839a824bef4eedaafe66dd051389a5

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)