A possible cause for the generation of unusually strong ∼20- and 30-hour oscillations in the neutral wind of the lower thermosphere

Abstract

The harmonic relationship between the diurnal and semidiurnal tides gives rise to an elementary mathematical relationship that has intriguing consequences for secondary waves produced by non-linear interactions between the diurnal tide and planetary waves. A speculative theory is developed which predicts that, under certain conditions, these secondary waves can be amplified by non-linear interaction with the semidiurnal tide. A peculiar feature of dynamics in the MLT region above Bulgaria is the presence of strong oscillations with periods near 20 and 30 h, especially in the zonal wind component. Observational evidence from a meteor radar at Yambol, Bulgaria suggests that the 20- and 30-h signals are produced as the result of non-linear interactions of the type proposed by the novel theory.