Small Scale Structure in the Earth's Ionosphere. Theory and Numerical Simulation.

Abstract

We describe in qualitative terms the cause and nonlinear evolution of the gradient drift and collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in the earth's ionosphere, by using the examples of ionospheric barium clouds and equatorial spread F 'bubbles' respectively. We then derive the nonlinear differential equations governing these instabilities. Finally, we discuss the numerical solution of these differential equations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 15, 1983
Accession Number
ADA130462

Entities

People

  • Steven T.P. Zalesak

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Altitude
  • Differential Equations
  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Grids
  • Instability
  • Ionosphere
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Military Research
  • Navy
  • Partial Differential Equations
  • Physics Laboratories
  • Rayleigh Taylor Instability

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics