scholarly journals Post-midnight onset of spread-F at Kodaikanal during the June solstice of solar minimum

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hanumath Sastri
Keyword(s):  
Solar Minimum ◽  
June Solstice ◽  
Spread F

Spread F occurrence over a southern anomaly crest location in Brazil during June solstice of solar minimum activity

2011 ◽  
Vol 116 (A6) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. N. Candido ◽  
I. S. Batista ◽  
F. Becker-Guedes ◽  
M. A. Abdu ◽  
J. H. A. Sobral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Minimum ◽  
June Solstice ◽  
Spread F

scholarly journals <i>Letter to the Editor</i>: Post-midnight onset of spread-F at Kodaikanal during the June solstice of solar minimum

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1111-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Sastri
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Solar Minimum ◽  
Equatorial Ionosphere ◽  
Instability Mechanism ◽  
Layer Height ◽  
Northern Summer ◽  
June Solstice ◽  
Spread F ◽  
Rayleigh Taylor Instability ◽  
Distinct Increase

Abstract. At dip equatorial stations in the Indian zone, spread-F conditions are known to develop preferentially around midnight during the June solstice (northern summer) months of low solar activity, in association with a distinct increase in F layer height. It is currently held that this onset of spread-F far away from the sunset terminator is due to the generalised Rayleigh-Taylor instability mechanism, with the gravitational and cross-field instability factors (and hence F layer height) playing important roles. We have studied the quarter-hourly ionograms of Kodaikanal (10.2°N; 77.5°E; dip 4°N) for the northern summer months (May-August) of 1994 and 1995 to ascertain the ambient ionospheric conditions against which the post-midnight onset of spread-F takes place. A data sample of 38 nights with midnight onset of spread-F and 34 nights without spread-F is used for the purpose. It is found that a conspicious increase in F layer height beginning around 2100 LT occurs on nights with spread-F as well as without spread-F. This feature is seen in the nocturnal pattern of F layer height on many individual nights as well as of average F layer height for the two categories of nights. The result strongly suggests that the F layer height does not play a pivotal role in the midnight onset of spread-F during the June solstice of solar minimum. The implications of this finding are discussed.Key words. Ionosphere (equatorial ionosphere; ionospheric irregularities)

scholarly journals Postmidnight equatorial plasma irregularities on the June solstice during low solar activity – a case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 657-672
Author(s):  
Claudia M. N. Candido ◽  
Jiankui Shi ◽  
Inez S. Batista ◽  
Fabio Becker-Guedes ◽  
Emília Correia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Low Latitude ◽  
Plasma Irregularities ◽  
Fabry Perot ◽  
June Solstice ◽  
Spread F ◽  
Plasma Depletions ◽  
Dip Angle ◽  
Layer Peak

Abstract. We present a case study of unusual spread-F structures observed by ionosondes at two equatorial and low-latitude Brazilian stations – São Luís (SL: 44.2∘ W, 2.33∘ S; dip angle: −6.9∘) and Fortaleza (FZ: 38.45∘ W, 3.9∘ S; dip angle: −16∘). The irregularity structures observed from midnight to postmidnight hours of moderate solar activity (F10.7 < 97 sfu, where 1 sfu = 10−22 W m−2 s−1) have characteristics different from typical post-sunset equatorial spread F. The spread-F traces first appeared at or above the F-layer peak and gradually became well-formed mixed spread F. They also appeared as plasma depletions in the 630.0 nm airglow emissions made by a wide-angle imager located at the nearby low-latitude station Cajazeiras (CZ: 38.56∘ W, 6.87∘ S; dip angle: −21.4∘). The irregularities appeared first over FZ and later over SL, giving evidence of an unusual westward propagation or a horizontal plasma advection. The drift-mode operation available in one of the ionosondes (a digital portable sounder, DPS-4) has enabled us to analyze the horizontal drift velocities and directions of the irregularity movement. We also analyzed the neutral wind velocity measured by a Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) installed at CZ and discuss its possible role in the development of the irregularities.

scholarly journals On the seasonal variations of the threshold height for the occurrence of equatorial spread F during solar minimum and maximum years

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Manju ◽  
C. V. Devasia ◽  
R. Sridharan
Keyword(s):  
Solar Minimum ◽  
Solar Maximum ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Meridional Wind ◽  
Equatorial Spread F ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Meridional Winds ◽  
Different Seasons ◽  
Spread F ◽  
Bottom Side

Abstract. A study has been carried out on the occurrence of bottom side equatorial spread F (ESF) and its dependence on the polarity and magnitude of the thermospheric meridional wind just prior to ESF occurrence during summer, winter and equinox seasons of solar maximum (2002) and minimum years (1995), using ionosonde data of Trivandrum (8.5° N, 76.5° E, dip=0.5° N) and SHAR (13.7° N, 80.2° E, dip ~5.5° N) in the Indian longitude sector. In this study, we have examined the changes in the threshold height of the base of the F layer for the triggering of ESF, irrespective of the magnitude and polarity of the meridional winds during the above periods. The study indicates that the threshold height above which ESF triggering is entirely controlled only by the collisional R-T instability is least for summer months, with higher values for winter and equinox, during the solar minimum period, whereas for the solar maximum period the threshold height is least for winter, with higher values for summer and equinox. But the range over which the threshold height varies is very narrow (<15 km) for solar minimum in relation to the large range of variation (>50 km) in the solar maximum epoch. Further to this, the study also reveals a clear-cut increase in threshold height with solar activity for all seasons. Clear-cut seasonal variability is also observed in the threshold height, especially for solar maximum. The study quantifies the level of the base of the F layer below which neutral dynamical effects play a decisive role in the triggering of ESF during different seasons and solar epochs.

scholarly journals Generation of large-scale equatorial F-region plasma depletions during lowrange spread-F season

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Sahai ◽  
P. R. Fagundes ◽  
J. R. Abalde ◽  
A. A. Pimenta ◽  
J. A. Bittencourt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Ionospheric Plasma ◽  
Geomagnetic Storms ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
F Region ◽  
Range Type ◽  
June Solstice ◽  
Radio Signature ◽  
Spread F ◽  
Plasma Depletions

Abstract. All-sky imaging observations of the F-region OI 630nm nightglow emission allow us to visualize large-scale equatorial plasma depletions, generally known as trans-equatorial plasma bubbles. Strong range type spread-F is the radio signature of these (magnetically) north-south aligned plasma depletions. An extensive database of the OI 630nm emission all-sky imaging observations has been obtained at Cachoeira Paulista (22.7°S, 45.0°W; dip latitude ∼16°S), Brazil, between the years 1987 and 2000. An analysis of these observations revealed that relatively few large-scale ionospheric plasma depletions occur during the months of May to August (southern winter, June solstice) in the Brazilian sector. Of the few that are observed during these months, some occur in association with geomagnetic storms and some do not. In this paper, a detailed analysis of the events when large-scale ionospheric plasma depletions were initiated and evolved during the June solstice periods are presented and discussed.Key words. Atmospheric composition and chemistry (airglow and aurora). Ionosphere (equatorial ionosphere; ionospheric irregularities)

scholarly journals Multi-instrumented observations of the equatorial F-region during June solstice: large-scale wave structures and spread-F

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiano S. Rodrigues ◽  
Dustin A. Hickey ◽  
Weijia Zhan ◽  
Carlos R. Martinis ◽  
Bela G. Fejer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
F Region ◽  
June Solstice ◽  
Spread F

scholarly journals A comparative study of GPS ionospheric scintillations and ionogram spread F over Sanya

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 1421-1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Zhang ◽  
W. Wan ◽  
G. Li ◽  
L. Liu ◽  
L. Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
Gps Scintillation ◽  
June Solstice ◽  
Spread F ◽  
Ionospheric Scintillations ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Sporadic E

Abstract. We analyze the data recorded during December 2011–November 2012 by a digital ionosonde and a GPS (Global Positioning System) scintillation and (total electron content) TEC receiver collocated at Sanya (109.6° E, 18.3° N; dip lat. 12.8° N), a low-latitude station in the Chinese longitude sector, to carry out a comparative study of ionospheric scintillations and spread F. A good consistency between the temporal variations of GPS scintillation (represented by the S4 index) and of ionogram spread F (represented by the QF index) is found in the pre-midnight period during equinox. However in the post-midnight period during equinox and in the period from post-sunset to pre-sunrise during June solstice, moderate spread F is seen without concurrent GPS scintillation. The possible cause responsible for the difference between post-midnight GPS scintillation and spread F during equinox could be due to the decaying of 400 m scale irregularities associated with equatorial spread F. Regarding the irregularities producing moderate QF and low S4 indices during June solstice, we suggest that the frequently observed sporadic E (Es) layer and the medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) over Sanya could play important roles in triggering the June solstitial spread-F events.

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