Abstract
Abstract. Asymmetries in plasma density irregularity generation between the leading and trailing edges of the large-scale plasma density structures in the high-latitude ionosphere are investigated. A model is developed that evaluates the gradient-drift instability (GDI) growth rate differences across the gradient reversal that is applicable at all propagation directions and for the broad range of altitudes spanning the entire lower ionosphere. In particular, the model describes asymmetries that would be observed by an oblique scanning radar near density structures in the polar cap such as elongated polar patches. The dependencies on the relative orientations between the directions of the gradient reversal, plasma convection, and wave propagation are examined at different altitudinal regions. At all altitudes, the largest asymmetries are expected for observations along the gradient reversals, e.g., when an elongated structure is oriented along the radar boresight. The convection direction that results in the strongest asymmetries exhibits a strong dependence on the altitude, with the optimal convection being parallel to the gradient reversal in the E region, perpendicular to it in the F region, and at some angle between these extremes in the transitional region. Implications for observations of polar patches by oblique scanning radars within the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network are discussed. It is demonstrated that the wave propagation direction relative to the prevalent convection and gradient directions plays a critical role in controlling both the irregularity growth rate and its asymmetries near gradient reversals.
Highlights
Plasma density structures in the high-latitude ionosphere range in size from a few centimeters to hundreds of kilometers
The aim of this study is to investigate the asymmetries between the gradientdrift instability (GDI) growth rates near gradient reversals that often occur in the vicinity of large-scale density structures
A model of asymmetries in plasma wave generation due to sharp reversals in the plasma density gradient near elongated density structures in the high-latitude ionosphere revealed the following: 1. Growth rate of plasma irregularities generated in the linear regime of the gradient-drift instability exhibits asymmetry between leading and trailing edges of convecting elongated density structures such as polar patches
Summary
Plasma density structures in the high-latitude ionosphere range in size from a few centimeters to hundreds of kilometers. An analytic expression for the GDI growth rate in the F region has been derived in numerous studies, with most of these derivations considering a particular subset of mutual orientations between ∇n0, V E, and the wave vector k This typically results in the upper limit of the GDI growth rate of γ = VE/L, where L is a characteristic gradient scale length defined through L−1 ≡ |∇n0|/n0. More general vector configurations and growth rate expressions in the F region have been considered (Keskinen and Ossakow, 1982; Makarevich, 2014), but their implications for studying the asymmetries between leading and trailing edges of large-scale structures have not been investi-
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