Observations of large field-aligned flows of thermal plasma in the auroral ionosphere

Large upward field-aligned ion flows have previously been observed in the high latitude ionosphere in response to frictional heating of the local ion population. Results from a recent experiment using the EISCAT radar show similar features but allow, for the first time, determination of the field-al...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advances in Space Research
Main Authors: Winser, K.J., Jones, G.O.L., Williams, P.J.S., Lockwood, Mike
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 1989
Subjects:
EISCAT
Online Access:https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/38877/
https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-1177(89)90341-4
Description
Summary:Large upward field-aligned ion flows have previously been observed in the high latitude ionosphere in response to frictional heating of the local ion population. Results from a recent experiment using the EISCAT radar show similar features but allow, for the first time, determination of the field-aligned profiles of plasma parameters during these events. The upflows occur during frictional heating. The flows are shown to be transient plasma upwellings, from regions where the ion temperature has been elevated by the motion of a convection shear over the observed field line.

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