A model of enhanced electron concentration irregularities in the ionosphere: Perturbation amplitudes and hydrodynamic effects

Abstract

A bidimensional model is proposed to perform computer simulations of enhanced electron concentration irregularities, in an extended altitude range centered at the bottom of the F layer, and including the dependence of collision and recombination frequencies on density. The model is tested with different perturbation amplitudes in a limited fringe. We find that amplitudes in a medium range are more effective as a destabilising effect. All results confirm the hydrodynamic Rayleigh-Taylor prediction.

Keywords

• Ionosphere
• electron concentration irregularities
• Rayleigh-Taylor instability
• hydrodynamic effect
• perturbation amplitude