Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over China

Abstract In this paper, multi‐source perturbations during the evolution of an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) event at low latitudes in China are studied by means of multi‐ground‐based instruments, including an all‐sky airglow imager, a very high frequency (VHF) radar and eight digisondes. We found t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Longchang Sun, Jiyao Xu, Yajun Zhu, Wei Yuan, Hong Gao, Chunxiao Yan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-03-01
Series:Space Weather
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003293
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1841536522914889728
author Longchang Sun
Jiyao Xu
Yajun Zhu
Wei Yuan
Hong Gao
Chunxiao Yan
author_facet Longchang Sun
Jiyao Xu
Yajun Zhu
Wei Yuan
Hong Gao
Chunxiao Yan
author_sort Longchang Sun
collection DOAJ
description Abstract In this paper, multi‐source perturbations during the evolution of an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) event at low latitudes in China are studied by means of multi‐ground‐based instruments, including an all‐sky airglow imager, a very high frequency (VHF) radar and eight digisondes. We found that EPB event initially evolved from bottom perturbations (∼600 km scale) seeded by atmospheric gravity waves in a form of large‐scale wave‐like structure, accompanying smaller‐scale perturbations (∼150 km scale) mostly by collision‐shear instability (CSI); once formed, those seed perturbations further evolved into the ionospheric topside by the plasma instability. Observed and analyzed are two different instabilities: one is the Rayleigh‐Taylor instability (RTI) driven by a prereversal enhancement of the zonal electric field (PRE) occurred near sunset; the other is an equatorward wind‐induced secondary E × B gradient drift instability (GDI) around midnight. Accompanying the PRE‐induced RTI are freshly‐generated depletions with larger poleward (upward) velocities. The PRE‐driven RTI could elevate the bottom perturbations directly to form fast‐moving depletions/structures at the ionospheric topside. The E × B GDI was trigged by a vertical upward plasma jet caused by a seasonal equatorward wind in regions as far as 10°N (20°N) from the geomagnetic (geographic) equator. This equatorward wind‐induced E × B GDI continuously forced topside structures of those drifting‐type EPB depletions to extend poleward more slowly, resulting in active 3.2‐m irregularities around midnight. Besides, we present evidence that a westward polarization electric field generated in an adjacent trough region of the faster‐growing cluster‐type depletions inhibited the neighboring slower‐growing cluster‐type depletions.
format Article
id doaj-art-df1652d4dfb04accb65c3e9ac7bf8a01
institution Kabale University
issn 1542-7390
language English
publishDate 2023-03-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Space Weather
spelling doaj-art-df1652d4dfb04accb65c3e9ac7bf8a012025-01-14T16:27:17ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902023-03-01213n/an/a10.1029/2022SW003293Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over ChinaLongchang Sun0Jiyao Xu1Yajun Zhu2Wei Yuan3Hong Gao4Chunxiao Yan5State Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaAbstract In this paper, multi‐source perturbations during the evolution of an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) event at low latitudes in China are studied by means of multi‐ground‐based instruments, including an all‐sky airglow imager, a very high frequency (VHF) radar and eight digisondes. We found that EPB event initially evolved from bottom perturbations (∼600 km scale) seeded by atmospheric gravity waves in a form of large‐scale wave‐like structure, accompanying smaller‐scale perturbations (∼150 km scale) mostly by collision‐shear instability (CSI); once formed, those seed perturbations further evolved into the ionospheric topside by the plasma instability. Observed and analyzed are two different instabilities: one is the Rayleigh‐Taylor instability (RTI) driven by a prereversal enhancement of the zonal electric field (PRE) occurred near sunset; the other is an equatorward wind‐induced secondary E × B gradient drift instability (GDI) around midnight. Accompanying the PRE‐induced RTI are freshly‐generated depletions with larger poleward (upward) velocities. The PRE‐driven RTI could elevate the bottom perturbations directly to form fast‐moving depletions/structures at the ionospheric topside. The E × B GDI was trigged by a vertical upward plasma jet caused by a seasonal equatorward wind in regions as far as 10°N (20°N) from the geomagnetic (geographic) equator. This equatorward wind‐induced E × B GDI continuously forced topside structures of those drifting‐type EPB depletions to extend poleward more slowly, resulting in active 3.2‐m irregularities around midnight. Besides, we present evidence that a westward polarization electric field generated in an adjacent trough region of the faster‐growing cluster‐type depletions inhibited the neighboring slower‐growing cluster‐type depletions.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003293airglowequatorial plasma bubblemulti‐source perturbationsionospheric instability
spellingShingle Longchang Sun
Jiyao Xu
Yajun Zhu
Wei Yuan
Hong Gao
Chunxiao Yan
Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over China
Space Weather
airglow
equatorial plasma bubble
multi‐source perturbations
ionospheric instability
title Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over China
title_full Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over China
title_fullStr Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over China
title_full_unstemmed Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over China
title_short Multi‐Source Perturbations in the Evolution of a Low‐Latitudinal Equatorial Plasma Bubble Event Occurred Over China
title_sort multi source perturbations in the evolution of a low latitudinal equatorial plasma bubble event occurred over china
topic airglow
equatorial plasma bubble
multi‐source perturbations
ionospheric instability
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003293
work_keys_str_mv AT longchangsun multisourceperturbationsintheevolutionofalowlatitudinalequatorialplasmabubbleeventoccurredoverchina
AT jiyaoxu multisourceperturbationsintheevolutionofalowlatitudinalequatorialplasmabubbleeventoccurredoverchina
AT yajunzhu multisourceperturbationsintheevolutionofalowlatitudinalequatorialplasmabubbleeventoccurredoverchina
AT weiyuan multisourceperturbationsintheevolutionofalowlatitudinalequatorialplasmabubbleeventoccurredoverchina
AT honggao multisourceperturbationsintheevolutionofalowlatitudinalequatorialplasmabubbleeventoccurredoverchina
AT chunxiaoyan multisourceperturbationsintheevolutionofalowlatitudinalequatorialplasmabubbleeventoccurredoverchina