Articles | Volume 26, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-26-2929-2008
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-26-2929-2008
25 Sep 2008
 | 25 Sep 2008

Energetics and structure of the lower E region associated with sporadic E layer

K.-I. Oyama, K. Hibino, T. Abe, R. Pfaff, T. Yokoyama, and J. Y. Liu

Abstract. The electron temperature (Te), electron density (Ne), and two components of the electric field were measured from the height of 90 km to 150 km by one of the sounding rockets launched during the SEEK-2 campaign. The rocket went through sporadic E layer (Es) at the height of 102 km–109 km during ascent and 99 km–108 km during decent, respectively. The energy density of thermal electrons calculated from Ne and Te shows the broad maximum in the height range of 100–110 km, and it decreases towards the lower and higher altitudes, which implies that a heat source exists in the height region of 100 km–110 km. A 3-D picture of Es, that was drawn by using Te, Ne, and the electric field data, corresponded to the computer simulation; the main structure of Es is projected to a higher altitude along the magnetic line of force, thus producing irregular structures of Te, Ne and electric field in higher altitude.