Author ORCID Identifier

Kristina Lynch: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9006-1138

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Department

Department of Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

Using a multi-payload sounding rocket mission, we present the first direct measurement of velocity shear in the topside auroral ionosphere. In regions of large, ∼200 mV/m, transient electric fields we directly measure differences in the plasma drift velocity. From these differences, shear frequencies reaching ±6Hz are measured. These directly measured shears are compared with the shear inferred from single payload measurements. It is shown this traditional measurement of shear overestimates the shear frequency by a factor of two for this event, highlighting the importance of the temporal component of near-DC electric field structures. Coincident with these strong fields and shears are enhanced emissions of broadband, extremely low frequency (BB-ELF) plasma waves, and a narrowband wave emission near the H+-O+bi-ion resonant frequency.

DOI

10.1029/2011GL050018

Original Citation

Lundberg, E. T., Kintner, P. M., Lynch, K. A., and Mella, M. R. (2012), Multi-payload measurement of transverse velocity shears in the topside ionosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L01107, doi:10.1029/2011GL050018.

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