HR: 1340h
AN: SA33A-1131    [Abstracts]
TI: Three-Dimensional Evolution of the Equatorial Ionospheric Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in Combined Vertical and Zonal Drifts
AU: Ossakow, S L
EM: ossakow@ccs.nrl.navy.mil
AF: Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20375 United States
AU: * Keskinen, M J
EM: keskinen@ppd.nrl.navy.mil
AF: Charged Particle Physics Branch, Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20375 United States
AU: Fejer, B
EM: bfejer@cc.usu.edu
AF: CASS, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322 United States
AB: Recently much interest has been focussed on the onset and evolution of equatorial F-region ionospheric irregularities both for quiet and stormtime periods. The overall growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the equatorial ionosphere is dependent on several factors, e.g., vertical density gradient, E-region conductivity, parallel conductivity, and thermospheric winds. We have developed a three-dimensional nonlinear simulation code to treat the evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in equatorial spread-F. The code contains ion inertial effects to properly treat the high altitude evolution of spread-F plumes. In this paper we use this code to study the effects of combined time-dependent vertical and zonal drifts on the 3D evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. We compare the code predictions with ground-based observations.
DE: 2415 Equatorial ionosphere
DE: 2435 Ionospheric disturbances
DE: 2439 Ionospheric irregularities
DE: 2471 Plasma waves and instabilities
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting