Electron distribution function and ion concentrations in the earth's lower ionosphere from Boltzmann-Fokker-Planck theory

Abstract

Using the Boltzmann-Fokker-Planck method and the local approximation we derive coupled non-linear equations for the electron and ion concentrations and the energy-dependent electron distribution function in the Earth's lower ionosphere. These equations are new and give the appropriate generalization of the standard electron-ion continuity equations in the local approximation when electron-neutral particle impact ionization is treated rigorously. We report stable, numerical solutions to these equations and compare our calculated electron concentration to the experimentally determined result for a rocket experiment where the electron concentration and solar EUV spectral flux were measured simultaneously.