Incidence angle dependence of Langmuir turbulence and artificial ionospheric layers driven by high-power HF-heating

Eliasson, B. and Milikh, G. and Shao, X. and Mishin, E. V. and Papadopoulos, K. (2015) Incidence angle dependence of Langmuir turbulence and artificial ionospheric layers driven by high-power HF-heating. Journal of Plasma Physics, 81 (02). 415810201. ISSN 0022-3778 (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022377814000968)

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Abstract

We have numerically investigated the development of strong Langmuir turbulence (SLT) and associated electron acceleration at different angles of incidence of ordinary (O) mode pump waves. For angles of incidence within the Spitze cone, the turbulence initially develops within the first maximum of the Airy pattern near the plasma resonance altitude. After a few milliseconds, the turbulent layer shifts downwards by about 1 km. For injections outside the Spitze region, the turning point of the pump wave is at lower altitudes. Yet, an Airy-like pattern forms here, and the turbulence development is quite similar to that for injections within the Spitze. SLT leads to the acceleration of 10–20 eV electrons that ionize the neutral gas thereby creating artificial ionospheric layers. Our numerical modeling shows that most efficient electron acceleration and ionization occur at angles between the magnetic and geographic zenith, where SLT dominates over weak turbulence. Possible effects of the focusing of the electromagnetic beam on magnetic field-aligned density irregularities and the finite heating beam width at the magnetic zenith are also discussed. The results have relevance to ionospheric heating experiments using ground-based, high-power radio transmitters to heat the overhead plasma, where recent observations of artificial ionization layers have been made.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:50196
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    April 2015
    Published
    6 November 2014
    Published Online
    6 October 2014
    Accepted
    Notes:© Cambridge University Press 2015
    Subjects:Science > Physics
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:07 Nov 2014 14:06
    Last modified:11 Apr 2024 00:49
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/50196
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