Abstract
The Investigation of Cusp Irregularities (ICI‐2) sounding rocket was launched on 5 December 2008 from Ny‐Ålesund, Svalbard. The high‐resolution rocket data are combined with data from an all‐sky camera, the EISCAT Svalbard Radar, and the SuperDARN Hankasalmi radar. These data sets are used to characterize the spatial structure ofFregion irregularities in the dayside cusp region. We use the data set to test two key mechanisms for irregularity growth; the Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) and gradient drift (GD) instabilities. Except for a promising interval of 4–6 km irregularities, the KH growth rate was found to be too slow to explain the observed plasma irregularities. The time history of the plasma gives further support that structured particle precipitation could be an important source of kilometer‐ to hectometer‐scale “seed” irregularities, which are then efficiently broken down into decameter‐scale irregularities by the GD mechanism.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
