Determination of the Ionospheric Convection Pattern from DMSP Data

Abstract

Thermal plasma instrumentation on the DMSP-F8, DMSP-F9, and future DMSP satellites may provide the first continuous long-term database of the ionospheric flow of plasma over both polar caps. Flow data from the satellites can be combined with a model magnetic field to calculate both the form and magnitude of the potential distribution across the polar cap. We are developing a model that will take the information about the potential distributions seen by both satellites and allow us to model the convection pattern over the entire polar cap region. A description of the data application is given along with a comparison of model and observed potential distributions. Keywords: Ionosphere; Ionospheric plasma convection pattern; Plasma convection modelling.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA201121

Entities

People

  • Marc R. Hairston
  • Roderick A. Heelis

Organizations

  • University of Texas at Dallas

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Classification
  • Convection
  • Driftmeters
  • Grids
  • High Latitudes
  • Latitude
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Meteorological Satellites
  • Orbits
  • Polar Cap
  • Polar Regions
  • Regions
  • Security
  • Space Sciences
  • Spacecraft

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster
  • Space - Satellites