Abstract
THE ionospheric mid-latitude trough has been investigated by means of satellite in situ probes1 and topside sounders2,3. Its behaviour has also been studied by measurements of total electron content4 which show it to exhibit a diurnal variation reaching its lowest latitude shortly after local midnight. Rycroft and Thomas3, however, after removing variations due to changes in magnetic activity, have shown a movement towards lower latitudes as dawn progresses. Studies of the motion towards the equator of the trough with increasing magnetic activity have led Rycroft and Thomas to infer that the ionospheric trough and the magnetospheric plasmapause are basically related phenomena. Liszka and Turunen5 have shown that the polewards boundary of the trough follows the movement of the equatorwards boundary of the precipitation of 1 KeV auroral electrons and they propose a mechanism for the production of the trough in terms of the increase in temperature resulting from the influx of precipitating particles.
Article PDF
References
Sharp, G. W., J. Geophys. Res., 71, 1345 (1966).
Muldrew, D. B., J. Geophys. Res., 70, 2635 (1965).
Rycroft, M. J., and Thomas, J. O., Planet. Space Sci., 18, 65 (1970).
Liszka, L., J. Atmos.Terr. Phys., 29, 1243 (1967).
Liszka, L., and Turunen, T., Kiruna Geophysical Observatory Preprint No. 71, 306 (1971).
Aarons, J., and Allen, R. S., J. Geophys. Res., 76, 170 (1971).
Oksman, J., and Tauriainen, A., J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 33, 1727 (1971).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
KERSLEY, L., JENKINS, D. & EDWARDS, K. Relative Movements of Mid-Latitude Trough and Scintillation Boundary. Nature Physical Science 239, 11 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci239011a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci239011a0