Meteor plasma trails: effects of external electric field
Meteoroids traversing the E-region ionosphere leave behind extended columns of elevated ionization known as the meteor plasma trails. To accurately interpret radar signals from trails and use them for diagnostics, one needs to model plasma processes associated with their structure and evolution....
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2009-01-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/27/279/2009/angeo-27-279-2009.pdf |
| Summary: | Meteoroids traversing the E-region ionosphere leave behind
extended columns of elevated ionization known as the meteor
plasma trails. To accurately interpret radar signals from trails and use
them for diagnostics, one needs to model plasma processes associated
with their structure and evolution. This paper describes a 3-D quantitative
theory of the electrostatic interaction between a dense plasma
trail, the ionosphere, and a DC electric field driven by an external
dynamo. A simplified water-bag model of the meteor plasma shows that the highly conducting trail
efficiently short-circuits the ionosphere
and creates a vast region of currents that flow through
and around the trail. We predict that the trail can induce electric fields reaching a few V/m,
both perpendicular and parallel to the geomagnetic field. The former may drive plasma instabilities, while
the latter may lead to strong heating of ionospheric electrons. We
discuss physical and observational implications of these processes. |
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| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |