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Article
Seasonal and longitudinal dependence of equatorialdisturbance vertical plasma drifts
Geophysical Research Letters (2008)
  • Bela G. Fejer, Utah State University
  • J. W. Jensen
  • S. Y. Su
Abstract
[1] We used equatorial measurements from the ROCSAT-1 satellite to determine the seasonal and longitudinal dependent equatorial F region disturbance vertical plasma drifts. Following sudden increases in geomagnetic activity, the prompt penetration vertical drifts are upward during the day and downward at night, and have strong local time dependence at all seasons. The largest prompt penetration drifts near dusk and dawn occur during June solstice. The daytime disturbance dynamo drifts are small at all seasons. They are downward near dusk with largest (smallest) values during equinox (June solstice); the nighttime drifts are upward with the largest magnitudes in the postmidnight sector during December solstice. During equinox, the downward disturbance dynamo drifts near sunset are largest in the eastern hemisphere, while the late night upward drifts are largest in the western hemisphere. The longitudinal dependence of the disturbance dynamo drifts is in good agreement with results from simulation studies.
Keywords
  • seasonal,
  • longitudinal,
  • dependence,
  • equator,
  • disturbance,
  • vertical,
  • plasma,
  • drifts
Disciplines
Publication Date
October 1, 2008
Publisher Statement
Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union. DOI: 10.1029/2008GL035584
Citation Information
Fejer, B. G., J. W. Jensen, and S.-Y Su, Seasonal and longitudinal dependence of equatorial disturbance vertical plasma drifts, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L20106, doi:10.1029/2008GL035584, 2008.