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Ann. Geophys., 19, 131-134, 2001
www.ann-geophys.net/19/131/2001/
© European Geosciences Union 2001
Letter to the Editor
An analogy to the Reynolds number for the neutral gas component of a weak plasma
C. M. Hall
Tromsø Geophysical Observatory, Faculty of Science, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
Correspondence to: C. Hall (chris.hall@phys.uit.no)
Abstract. The Reynolds number Re
is used as a metric to assess whether or not a flow may contain turbulence. In a
weakly ionised gas with an external electric field imposed, ions exert a drag on
the neutral particles. Thus, a component of the neutral motion is attributable
to the ion-drag. An analogy to Re has been proposed in which the
ion-drag-induced velocity contribution to the neutral motion is used. This
analogy thus represents the destabilising effect of the electric field on the
neutral dynamics. Here quantisation of this proposed metric is
investigated.
Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics
(turbulence) – Ionosphere (ionosphere-atmosphere interactions; electric fields
and currents)
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