Similarities and Differences in the Plasmapause and Its Behavior at the Equator and at High Latitudes
Location
Yosemite National Park
Start Date
2-6-1974 10:00 AM
End Date
2-6-1974 10:15 AM
Description
ISIS-I Measurements of electron concentration, Ne, and temperature, Te, at 3,000 kilometers altitude show that the location of the plasmapause, Lpp, when viewed at high latitudes, exhibits a somewhat different diurnal variation from that observed in the equatorial region. Unlike its equatorial behavior, the high latitude plasmapause does not exhibit a significant afternoon bulge but instead remains at about L=4 at all local times. This difference arises in part from the different physical processes at high and low altitudes and is complicated by (1) difficulties in selecting physically consistent definitions of the plasmapause location, and (2) imprecise models of the geomagnetic field above L=4. A nighttime enhancement of Te at the plasmapause reveals a magnetospheric heat source that produces a downward heat conduction flux of 5x109 eV cm-2 sec-1
Similarities and Differences in the Plasmapause and Its Behavior at the Equator and at High Latitudes
Yosemite National Park
ISIS-I Measurements of electron concentration, Ne, and temperature, Te, at 3,000 kilometers altitude show that the location of the plasmapause, Lpp, when viewed at high latitudes, exhibits a somewhat different diurnal variation from that observed in the equatorial region. Unlike its equatorial behavior, the high latitude plasmapause does not exhibit a significant afternoon bulge but instead remains at about L=4 at all local times. This difference arises in part from the different physical processes at high and low altitudes and is complicated by (1) difficulties in selecting physically consistent definitions of the plasmapause location, and (2) imprecise models of the geomagnetic field above L=4. A nighttime enhancement of Te at the plasmapause reveals a magnetospheric heat source that produces a downward heat conduction flux of 5x109 eV cm-2 sec-1