Magnetospheric plasma thermal perturbations induced by resonant heating of the ionospheric F-region by high-power radio wave

Abstract

A computer simulation is carried out of strong electron temperature and density perturbations penetrated into the Earth's plasmasphere from the ionospheric F-region heated by intense radio wave. At night time the following effects are predicted: a rapid growth of the electron temperature in the F-region, excitation in the plasmasphere of a strong thermal wave with a sharp fore front, substantial decrease in plasma density (depletion) of the upper ionosphere and plasmasphere, and formation of a solitary ion-acoustic compression wave travelling across the plasmasphere. At day time, the processes are slowing down. Typical effects are flattening of the F-region density profile and increase of the electron flux from the ionosphere to plasmasphere.