Equatorial plasma irregularities in the ionospheric F-region proliferate after sunset, causing the most apparent radio scintillation “hot-spot” in geospace. These irregularities are caused by plasma instabilities, and appear mostly in the form of under-densities that rise up from the F-region’s bottomside. After an irregularity production peak at sunset, the amplitude of the resulting turbulence decays with time. Analyzing a large database of plasma irregularity spectra observed by one of the European Space Agency’s Swarm satellites, we have applied a novel but conceptually simple statistical analysis to the data, finding in the process that post-sunset turbulence in the F-region tends to decay with a uniform, scale-independent rate at night, thereby confirming and extending the results from earlier case studies. Our results should be of utility for large-scale space weather modelling efforts that are unable to resolve turbulent effects.

Using a large dataset of ground-based GNSS scintillation observations coupled with in-situ particle detector data, we perform a statistical analysis of both the input energy flux from precipitating particles, and the observed prevalence of density irregularities in the northern hemisphere cusp. By examining geomagnetic activity trends in the two databases, we conclude that the occurrence of irregularities in the cusp grows increasingly likely during storm-time, whereas the precipitating particle energy flux does not. We thus find a weak or nonexistent statistical link between geomagnetic activity and precipitating particle energy flux in the cusp. This is a result of a documented tendency for the cusp energy flux to maximize during northward IMF, when density irregularities tend not to be widespread. Their number clearly maximizes during southward IMF. At any rate, even though ionization and subsequent density gradients directly caused by soft electron precipitation in the cusp are not to be ignored for the trigger of irregularities, our results point to the need to scrutinize additional physical processes for the creation of irregularities causing scintillations in and around the cusp. While numerous phenomena known to cause density irregularities have been identified and described, there is a need for a systematic evaluation of the conditions under which the various destabilizing mechanisms become important and how they sculpt the observed ionospheric ‘irregularity landscape’. As such, we call for a quantitative assessment of the role of particle precipitation in the cusp, given that other factors contribute to the production of irregularities in a major way.

In the auroral E-region strong electric fields can create an environment characterized by fast plasma drifts. These fields lead to strong Hall currents which trigger small-scale plasma instabilities that evolve into turbulence. Radio waves transmitted by radars are scattered off of this turbulence, giving rise to the ‘radar aurora’. However, the Doppler shift from the scattered signal does not describe the F-region plasma flow, the ExB drift imposed by the magnetosphere. Instead, the radar aurora Doppler shift is typically limited by nonlinear processes to not exceed the local ion-acoustic speed of the E-region. This being stated, recent advances in radar interferometry enable the tracking of the bulk motion of the radar aurora, which can be quite different and is typically larger than the motion inferred from the Doppler shift retrieved from turbulence scatter. We argue that the bulk motion inferred from the radar aurora tracks the motion of turbulent source regions (provided by the aurora). This allows us to retrieve the electric field responsible for the motion of field tubes involved with auroral precipitation, since the precipitating electrons have to ExB-drift. Through a number of case studies, as well as a statistical analysis, we demonstrate that, as a result, the radar aurora bulk motion is closely associated with the high-latitude convection electric field. We conclude that, while still in need of further refinement, the method of tracking structures in the radar aurora has the potential to provide estimates of the ionospheric electric field that are consistent with nature.

As a rule, the phase velocity of unstable Farley-Buneman waves is found not to exceed the ion-acoustic speed, cs. However, there are known exceptions: under strong electric field conditions, much faster Doppler shifts than expected cs values are sometimes observed with coherent radars at high latitudes. These Doppler shifts are associated with narrow spectral width situations. To find out how much faster than cs these Doppler shifts might be, we developed a proper cs model as a function of altitude and electric field strength based on ion frictional heating and on a recently developed empirical model of the electron temperature under strong electric field conditions. Motivated by the ‘narrow fast’ observations, we then explored how ion drifts in the upper part of the unstable region could add to the Doppler shift observed with coherent radars. While there can be no ion drift contribution for the most unstable modes, and therefore no difference with cs for such modes, under strong electric field conditions, a large ion drift contribution of either sign needs to be added to the Doppler shift of more weakly unstable modes, turning them into ‘fast-‘ or ‘slow-’ narrow spectra. Particularly between 110 and 115 km, the ion drift can alter the Doppler shift of the more weakly unstable modes by several 100 m/s, to the point that their largest phase velocities could approach the ambient E x B drift itself.

The subauroral ion drift (SAID) denotes a latitudinally narrow channel of fast westward ion drift in the subauroral region, often observed during geomagnetically disturbed intervals. The recently recognized subauroral optical phenomena, the Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE) and the Picket Fence, are both related to intense SAIDs. In this study, we present a 2D time-dependent model simulation of the self-consistent variations of the elec-tron/ion temperature, density, and FAC, under strong SAID, with more focus in the lower ionosphere. Our simulation reproduces many key features of SAID, such as the anomalous electron heating in the E-region, the strong electron temperature enhancement in the upper F-region, the intense ion frictional heating, and the plasma density depletion. Most importantly, the ion Pedersen drifts is found to play a crucial role in the density variations and FAC dynamics in the lower ionosphere. The transport effect of ion Pedersen drifts leads to strong density depletion in the lower ionosphere in a large portion of SAID. The FAC inside SAID is mainly downward with magnitude ï¿¿ ~1 ï¿¿A/m 2. At the poleward edge of SAID, the ion Pedersen drift leads to a pileup of the plasma density and an upward FAC. Our simulation results also corroborate the presence of strong gradients of plasma density, temperature, and flows, at the edge of SAID, which may be conducive to certain plasma instabilities. Our model provides a useful tool for the future exploration of the generation mechanisms of STEVE and Picket Fence.

The sub-auroral ion drift (SAID) denotes a latitudinally narrow channel of fast westward ion drift in the sub-auroral region. The recently recognized sub-auroral optical phenomenon, the Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE), is intrinsically related to intense SAIDs. Recently, we had developed a 2D time-dependent model to study the self-consistent variations of the ionosphere under intense SAID. The present study further advances the model to a current generator scenario of SAID. By assuming magnetospheric field-aligned current (FAC) inputs based on existing knowledge and observations, we model the self-consistent variations of the ionosphere, with focus on the dynamic changes of the plasma density, the Pedersen conductance, and the electric field. We can reproduce the self-consistent evolution of an intense SAID and its associated ionospheric dynamics such as extreme heating and depletion. We illustrate that the ion Pedersen drifts can cause dynamic density variations in the lower ionosphere. Positive feedback is found to exist between the self-consistent variations of the electric field and the conductance: the ion Pedersen transport associated with the electric field leads to density depletion in the lower ionosphere, thus reducing the Pedersen conductance and further enhancing the electric field there. We conclude that such positive feedback is key to the formation of intense SAID’s in the ionosphere.