The effect of electric field-induced vertical convection on the precipitation E-layer

Abstract

The effects of perpendicular electric fields on the high-latitude nocturnal precipitation E-layer are studied in terms of model calculations. The deformations of the electron density profiles caused by vertical plasma movements are described assuming various incident electron energies and flux densities, as well as different field intensities and directions. Manifestations of the profile variations in vertical sounding observations and changes in the conductivity profiles are examined. The results show that field-induced vertical convection is important in plasma densities even higher than 10 11 m −3. Erroneous results may be obtained if the effect of the electric field is neglected when determining the incident electron spectrum from a measured ionospheric density profile.