Rayleigh-Taylor （R-T） instability is known as the fundamental mechanism of equatorial plasma bubbles （EPBs）. However, the sufficient conditions of R-T instability and stability have not yet been derived. In the pr...Rayleigh-Taylor （R-T） instability is known as the fundamental mechanism of equatorial plasma bubbles （EPBs）. However, the sufficient conditions of R-T instability and stability have not yet been derived. In the present paper, the sufficient conditions of R-T stability and instability are preliminarily^derived. Linear equations for small perturbation are first obtained from the electron/ion continuity equations, momentum equations, and the current continuity equation in the equatorial ionosphere. The linear equations can be casted as an eigenvalue equation using a normal mode method. The eigenvalue equation is a variable coefficient linear equation that can be solved using a variational approach. With this approach, the sufficient conditions can be obtained as follows： if the minimum systematic eigenvalue is greater than one, the ionosphere is R-T unstable; while if the maximum systematic eigenvalue is less than one, the ionosphere is R-T stable. An approximate numerical method for obtaining the systematic eigenvalues is introduced, and the R-T stable/unstable areas are calculated. Numerical experiments axe designed to validate the sufficient conditions. The results agree with the derived suf- ficient conditions.展开更多
The paper examines the propagation direction and velocity of large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances （LST1Ds） during extreme geomagnetic storms in the 23rd solar cycle （e.g., October 2003 and November 2003 s...The paper examines the propagation direction and velocity of large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances （LST1Ds） during extreme geomagnetic storms in the 23rd solar cycle （e.g., October 2003 and November 2003 storms） using GPS observations. In the analysis, the time delay between the vertical total electron content （VTEC） structures at Scott Base, McMurdo, Davis and Casey GPS stations and the distance between these stations were the main parameters in the determination of LSTIDs propagation speed and direction. The observations during October and November 2003 storms show obvious time delay between the total electron content （TEC） enhancement signatures at these stations. The time delay suggests a movement of the ionospheric disturbances from higher to lower latitudes during the October storm with a velocity of 800-1 200 m/s and poleward propagation of LSTIDs during the November storm with a ve- locity of 300-400 m/s. The equatorward or poleward expansion of LSTIDs during the October and November 2003 storms is probably caused by the disturbances of the neutral temperature occurring close to the dayside convection throat or by the neutral wind oscillation induced by atmospheric gravity waves （AGW） launched from the aurora region.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41575026 and 41175025)
文摘Rayleigh-Taylor （R-T） instability is known as the fundamental mechanism of equatorial plasma bubbles （EPBs）. However, the sufficient conditions of R-T instability and stability have not yet been derived. In the present paper, the sufficient conditions of R-T stability and instability are preliminarily^derived. Linear equations for small perturbation are first obtained from the electron/ion continuity equations, momentum equations, and the current continuity equation in the equatorial ionosphere. The linear equations can be casted as an eigenvalue equation using a normal mode method. The eigenvalue equation is a variable coefficient linear equation that can be solved using a variational approach. With this approach, the sufficient conditions can be obtained as follows： if the minimum systematic eigenvalue is greater than one, the ionosphere is R-T unstable; while if the maximum systematic eigenvalue is less than one, the ionosphere is R-T stable. An approximate numerical method for obtaining the systematic eigenvalues is introduced, and the R-T stable/unstable areas are calculated. Numerical experiments axe designed to validate the sufficient conditions. The results agree with the derived suf- ficient conditions.
基金Supported by the Project of Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia (04-01-02-SF0559)
文摘The paper examines the propagation direction and velocity of large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances （LST1Ds） during extreme geomagnetic storms in the 23rd solar cycle （e.g., October 2003 and November 2003 storms） using GPS observations. In the analysis, the time delay between the vertical total electron content （VTEC） structures at Scott Base, McMurdo, Davis and Casey GPS stations and the distance between these stations were the main parameters in the determination of LSTIDs propagation speed and direction. The observations during October and November 2003 storms show obvious time delay between the total electron content （TEC） enhancement signatures at these stations. The time delay suggests a movement of the ionospheric disturbances from higher to lower latitudes during the October storm with a velocity of 800-1 200 m/s and poleward propagation of LSTIDs during the November storm with a ve- locity of 300-400 m/s. The equatorward or poleward expansion of LSTIDs during the October and November 2003 storms is probably caused by the disturbances of the neutral temperature occurring close to the dayside convection throat or by the neutral wind oscillation induced by atmospheric gravity waves （AGW） launched from the aurora region.
