A model of mid-latitude E-region plasma convergence inside a planetary wave cyclonic vortex

International audienceRecently, Shalimov et al. (1999) proposed a new mechanism for large-scale accumulation of long-lived metallic ions in the mid-latitude ionosphere driven by planetary waves in the lower thermosphere. In this mechanism, the combined action of frictional and horizontal magnetic field forces at E-region altitudes causes the plasma to converge and accumulate in large areas of positive neutral wind vorticity within a propagating planetary wave. The present paper provides a theoretical formulation for this mechanism by modelling both horizontal and vertical plasma transport effects within a planetary wave vortex, of cyclonic neutral wind. Non-steady-state numerical solutions of the ion continuity equation show that the proposed accumulation process can enhance the ionization significantly inside the planetary wave vortex but its efficiency depends strongly on altitude, whereas on the other hand, it can be complicated by vertical plasma motions. The latter, which are driven by the same planetary wave wind field under the action of the vertical Lorentz force and meridional wind forcing along the magnetic field lines, can lead to either plasma compressions or depletions, depending on the prevailing wind direction. We conclude that, for shorter times, vertical plasma transport may act constructively to the horizontal gathering process to produce considerable E-region plasma accumulation over large sectors of a planetary wave vortex of cyclonic winds

Upper D region chemical kinetic modeling of LORE relaxation times

The recovery times of upper D region electron density elevations, caused by lightning-induced electromagnetic pulses (EMP), are modeled. The work was motivated from the need to understand a recently identified narrowband VLF perturbation named LOREs, an acronym for LOng Recovery Early VLF events. LOREs associate with long-living electron density perturbations in the upper D region ionosphere; they are generated by strong EMP radiated from large peak current intensities of +/- CG (cloud to ground) lightning discharges, known also to be capable of producing elves. Relaxation model scenarios are considered first for a weak enhancement in electron density and then for a much stronger one caused by an intense lightning EMP acting as an impulsive ionization source. The full nonequilibrium kinetic modeling of the perturbed mesosphere in the 76 to 92 km range during LORE-occurring conditions predicts that the electron density relaxation time is controlled by electron attachment at lower altitudes, whereas above 79 km attachment is balanced totally by associative electron detachment so that electron loss at these higher altitudes is controlled mainly by electron recombination with hydrated positive clusters H+(H2O)(n) and secondarily by dissociative recombination with NO+ ions, a process which gradually dominates at altitudes > 88 km. The calculated recovery times agree fairly well with LORE observations. In addition, a simplified (quasi-analytic) model build for the key charged species and chemical reactions is applied, which arrives at similar results with those of the full kinetic model. Finally, the modeled recovery estimates for lower altitudes, that is < 79 km, are in good agreement with the observed short recovery times of typical early VLF events, which are known to be associated with sprites.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, MINECO under projects ESP2013-48032-C5-5-R, FIS2014-61774-EXP, and ESP2015-69909-C5-2-R, and by the EU through the FEDER program. A.L. acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal contract, code RYC-2011-07801.Peer reviewe

Mid-latitude <i>E</i>-region bulk motions inferred from digital ionosonde and HF radar measurements

In the mid-latitude <i>E</i>-region there is now evidence suggesting that neutral winds play a significant role in driving the local plasma instabilities and electrodynamics inside sporadic<i>E</i> layers. Neutral winds can be inferred from coherent radar backscatter measurements of the range-/azimuth-time-intensity (RTI/ATI) striations of quasi-periodic (QP) echoes, or from radar interferometer/imaging observations. In addition, neutral winds in the <i>E</i>-region can be estimated from angle-of-arrival ionosonde measurements of sporadic-<i>E</i> layers. In the present paper we analyse concurrent ionosonde and HF coherent backscatter observations obtained when a Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosonde (CADI) was operated under a portion of the field-of-view of the Valensole high frequency (HF) radar. The Valensole radar, a mid-latitude radar located in the south of France with a large azimuthal scanning capability of 82&deg; (24&deg; E to 58&deg; W), was used to deduce zonal bulk motions of QP echoing regions using ATI analysis. The CADI was used to measure angle-of-arrival information in two orthogonal horizontal directions and thus derive the motion of sporadic-<i>E</i> patches drifting with the neutral wind. This paper compares the neutral wind drifts of the unstable sporadic-<i>E</i> patches as determined by the two instruments. The CADI measurements show a predominantly westward aligned motion, but the measured zonal drifts are underestimated relative to those observed with the Valensole radar