Modeling the daytime energy balance of the topside ionosphere at middle latitudes. Issue 5 (24th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hsu, Chih‐Te; Heelis, Roderick A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 122:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 5733
• Page End: 5742
• Publication Date: 2017-05-24
• Subjects: midlatitude ionosphere -- topside ionosphere energy budget -- H+ temperature -- ionosphere modeling; Magnetospheric physics -- Periodicals; Space environment -- Periodicals; Cosmic physics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Atmospheres -- Periodicals; Heliosphere (Astrophysics) -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 523.01
• DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024112
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9380

Abstract

Abstract: Recently reported measurements from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) indicate that the O + temperature in the topside ionosphere is dependent on the fractional H + density. This finding indicates that the mass‐dependent energy exchange rate between O + and H + plays an important role in the thermal balance of the topside ionosphere. In this study we utilize the SAMI2 model to retrieve both T H+ and T O+ and verify the previously observed dependence of ion temperature on ion composition. The model shows that in the topside at middle latitudes when a single ion is dominant, O + or H + is heated by electron collisions and cooled by conduction as expected. However, in the intervening altitude region where both O + and H + are present, O + is heated by collisions with H + and cooled by conduction, while H + is heated by collisions with electrons and cooled by collisions with O + . Key Points: Dependence of ion temperature on ion composition agrees with observations O + heated by electrons and H + H + cooled by collisions with O + and conduction