ELECTRODYNAMICS OF EQUATORIAL PLASMA INSTABILITIES

ROSES ID: NNH10ZDA001N      Selection Year: 2011      

Program Element: Focused Science Topic

Principal Investigator: David Hysell

Affiliation(s): Cornell University

Project Member(s):
Krall, Jonathan Co-I Naval Research Laboratory
Joyce, Glenn R. Co-I Naval Research Laboratory
Huba, Joseph Co-I/Institutional PI Naval Research Laboratory
Heelis, Rod Collaborator University of Texas at Dallas

Summary:

A four-year research program is proposed to study the electrodynamics of plasma instabilities

that develop in the nighttime equatorial ionosphere and can lead to the onset of equatorial

spread F (ESF). Understanding and modeling ESF is important because of its impact on

space weather: the associated electron density irregularities can scintillate radio wave signals

which can adversely impact communication and navigation systems. The primary scientific

objective is to address the question, what is the electrodynamic nature of equatorial

F region plasma instabilities? In particular we will investigate the difference between

two-dimensional and three-dimensional electrodynamic effects on the onset and evolution of

equatorial instabilities. This study will combine the 3D electrodynamics model developed

at Cornell University with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) ionospheric codes SAMI3

and SAMI3/ESF.



To achieve closure we will continually compare model results to data (e.g., radar measurements, in situ satellite data) to assess the validity of the model results

for explaining ESF day-to-day variability.



The proposed research directly addresses several objectives of the Living With a Star Targeted Research and Technology Focused Science Topic "Low- to Mid-Latitude Ionospheric

Irregularities and Turbulence" by improving models of F region plasma instabilities, quantifying the role of E and F region coupling on these instabilities, and understanding the

connection between large-scale ionospheric processes and the development of electron density irregularities.

Publications:

Performance Year	Reference	Investigation Type	Actions
1	Aveiro, H. C.; Hysell, D. L.; Park, J.; Lühr, H.; (2011), E...	not set
1	Aveiro, H. C.; Hysell, D. L.; Caton, R. G.; Groves, K. M.; K...	not set
1	Hysell, D. L.; Milla, M. A.; Condori, L.; Meriwether...	not set

Presentations:

Performance Year	Reference	Actions
1	Aveiro, H. C.; Hysell, D. L.; Park, J.; Luhr, H.; (2011), Eq...
1	Hysell, D. L.; Milla, M. A.; (2014), Numerical Simulations a...
1	Hysell, D. L.; Larsen, M. F.; Sulzer, M. P.; (2016), Observa...

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