CHINESE JOURNAL OF PHYSICS VOL. 39, NO. 2 APRIL 2001

Simulations of Spectral Asymmetries of Pure Two-Stream Waves
in the Equatorial Electrojet

C. L. Fern, S. Y. Chou and F. S. Kuo

Institute of Space Science, National Central University,

Chung-Li, Taiwan 320, R.O.C.
(Received December 12, 2000)

The nonlinear quasi-steady state of the Farley-Buneman two-stream wave observed in the E region ionosphere at altitudes in the range of 95-110 km is studied by numerical simulation. The behavior of this two-stream wave in the plane perpendicular to the Earth's magnetic field is simulated with a two-dimensional two-fluid code in which the electron inertia is neglected while the ion inertia is retained. We found that, for the waves with wavelength well above (smaller than) 3 meters, the most intense waves propagate in the $\vec{k}\cdot\vec{E}_0<0(\vec{k}\cdot\vec{E}_0>0)$ region. The simulation result of up-down asymmetry for the 3-meter wave is consistent with the radar observations. From the simulations, we conclude that the background polarization electric field driving the elctrojet is responsible for the spectral asymmetries.

PACS. 94.20.Gg - E region.
PACS. 94.20.Rr - Interactions between waves and particles.

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