HR: 0800h
AN: SA41A-1036    [Abstracts]
TI: Electrodynamics of the Nighttime Equatorial Ionosphere: the Effects of Winds and Waves
AU: * Gelinas, L J
EM: lynett@ece.cornell.edu
AF: Cornell University, Lab. of Plasma Studies, Ithaca, NY 14853 United States
AU: Kelley, M C
EM: mikek@ece.cornell.edu
AF: Cornell University, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ithaca, NY 14853 United States
AU: Clemmons, J
EM: James.H.Clemmons@aero.org
AF: Aerospace Corporation, PO Box 92957, Los Angeles, CA 90009 United States
AU: Larsen, M
EM: mlarsen@clemson.edu
AF: Clemson University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson, SC 29634 United States
AU: Makela, J
EM: jonathan.makela@nrl.navy.mil
AF: Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375 United States
AB: In this paper we present initial results from two sounding rockets designed to study the coupling bewteen neutral winds and electric fields in the equatorial ionosphere. The combined instrumented and chemical release payloads were launched from Kwajalein in September 2004. The rockets carried instruments measuring electric fields, plasma densities, neutral densities, and was accompanied by a TMA release to profile neutral winds. Ground based airglow imagers and were used to determine mesospheric conditions; specifically, the presence of gravity waves. The goal of the experiment was to investigate correlations between the gravity wave wind structure and local electric fields. This coupling is expected to be appreciable at the equator, where the magnetic field is nearly horizontal. Here we present initial results and discuss plans for data analysis.
DE: 2411 Electric fields (2712)
DE: 2415 Equatorial ionosphere
DE: 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions (0335)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting