Annales Geophysicae (Jan 2001)

Observation of isotropic electron temperature in the turbulent E region

  • S. Saito,
  • S. Saito,
  • S. C. Buchert,
  • S. Nozawa,
  • R. Fujii

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-19-11-2001
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19
pp. 11 – 15

Abstract

Read online

Using EISCAT radar data, we find that electrons are strongly heated in the magnetic field-line direction during high electric field events. The remote site data show that the electron temperature increases in almost the same way in the field-perpendicular direction; electron heating by E region plasma turbulence is isotropic. We discuss the implications of our observation for the "plasmon"-electron as well as the wave Joule heating models of the anomalous electron heating in the E region.Key words. Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; plasma temperature and density; plasma waves and instabilities)