Abstract
We investigate the role of Hall conductivity in ionospheric heating experiments. Ionosphericheating by powerful X-mode waves changes the Hall and Pedersen conductances in theEandDregions,which lead to the generation of ultra-low frequency (ULF)/extremely-low frequency/very low frequencywaves, when the electric field exists in the ionosphere. The importance of the Hall currents in themagnetosphere-ionosphere interactions, carried by ULF waves and field-aligned currents, has beenconsistently overlooked in studies devoted tothe active experiments. Simulations of the three-dimensionaltwo-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, presented in this paper, demonstrate that the Hallconductivity changes (1) the growth rate and the amplitude of ULF waves generated by the heating and (2)the orientation and the direction of propagation of the generated waves. These findings provide insight inthe experiments where the waves were generated with a geometric modulation technique and suggest anew and more efficient approach for conducting such experiments in the future.
Original language | American English |
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Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
Volume | 46 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 20 2019 |
Keywords
- Hall conductivity
- ionosphere
Disciplines
- Atmospheric Sciences