A study on electric field mapping from the F region to the E region at Arecibo. Issue 1 (20th January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gong, Yun; Zhou, Qihou; Zhang, Shaodong
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 121:Issue 1(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 713
• Page End: 718
• Publication Date: 2016-01-20
• Subjects: electric field mapping -- E region electric field -- F region electric field -- incoherent scatter radar; Magnetospheric physics -- Periodicals; Space environment -- Periodicals; Cosmic physics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Atmospheres -- Periodicals; Heliosphere (Astrophysics) -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 523.01
• DOI: 10.1002/2015JA022035
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9380

Abstract

Abstract: We present the first direct comparison of the vertical electric fields in the E and F regions at Arecibo. The electric field is generally assumed to be height invariant and can be mapped from the F region to the E region along the magnetic field line. We develop a method to verify the electric field mapping by comparing the E and F region eastward ion drifts at heights where the E region vertical ion drift is zero. Our method avoids using the ion‐neutral collision frequency, which is considered to be the most uncertain parameter in computing the E region electric field using radar measurements. The results show that the F region eastward E × B ion drift and the E region eastward ion drift at locations where vertical ion drift equals zero are not consistent. This implies that the E region vertical electric field is not the same as that from the F region. Key Points: Electric fields in the E region and F region are not the same as commonly assumed E region electric field is measured with minimal assumptions Need to reexamine our practice of using ISR to measure neutral winds