Multipoint Observations of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles
Abstract
This paper compares evening sector measurements by the Jicamarca unattended long-term studies of the ionosphere and atmosphere (JULIA) radar, the Ancon scintillation monitor, and plasma density sensors on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites. During more than half of the 110 nights of JULIA operations in 1998 and 1999, backscatter was observed from plumes extending above the layer of bottomside spread F. On 98% of the nights with no plumes, the S index measured at Ancon was <0.8. On -90% nights with plumes, S > 0 8. DMSP F14 crossed the magnetic equator within 7.5 deg longitude of Ancon near the 2100 local time (LT) meridian on 61 nights. During 32 overpasses, DMSP detected no equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) and JULIA detected no plumes. DMSP encountered EPBs on only 9 of the remaining 29 nights when JULIA observed plumes. Two plumes detected by JULIA on 15 Apr 99 did not coincide with nearby EPBs crossed by the two satellites on the same evening. We compared the seasonally average percent of nights with S > 0.8 at Ancon with the percent of orbits in which a DMSP satellite detected EPBs..
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 31, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA423049
Entities
People
- C. E. Valladares
- C. Y. Huang
- J. S. Machuzak
- L. C. Gentile
- W. J. Burke
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory