Goodwin, L., St.-Maurice, J. P., Richards, P., Nicolls, M., & Hairston, M. (2014). F region dusk ion temperature spikes at the equatorward edge of the high-latitude convection pattern. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(2), 300-307.
Abstract
Using Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar data from the International Polar Year, we observed unexpected short-lived enhancements of a few 100 K in the F region ion temperature, or “Ti spikes”, in conjunction with sharp F region plasma density drops near the dusk plasmapause. The geomagnetic conditions were moderately to weakly disturbed and the dusk spikes were often the largest Ti values recorded within the day. Taking various other observations into consideration, we conclude that the radar observed ion frictional heating events driven by large ion-neutral relative drifts caused by temporary intensifications in the convection pattern. The heating rate was enhanced through an increase in the size of the convection pattern, causing the neutrals just poleward of the dusk plasmapause to be moving antisunward while ions were moving sunward.