| Abstract | dc.description.abstract | The work presents a data-model synthesis examining
the response of the auroral F-region ion temperature,
composition, and density to short time scale (<1 min)
electric field disturbances associated with auroral arcs. Ion
temperature profiles recorded by the Sondrestrom incoherent
scatter radar (ISR) are critically analyzed with the aid
of theoretical calculations to infer ion composition variability.
The analyses presented include a partial accounting for
the effects of neutral winds on frictional heating and show
promise as the groundwork for future attempts to address ion
temperature-mass ambiguities in short-integration ISR data
sets. Results indicate that large NO+ enchancements in the
F-region can occur in as little as 20 s in response to impulsive
changes in ion frictional heating. Enhancements in molecular
ion density result in recombination and a depletion in
plasma, which is shown to occur on time scales of several
minutes. This depletion process, thus, appears to be of comparable
importance to electrodynamic evacuation processes
in producing auroral arc-related plasma depletions. Furthermore,
the potential of ionospheric composition in regulating
the amounts and types of ions supplied to the magnetosphere
is outlined. | en_US |
