Self-consistent modeling of equatorial dawn density depletions with SAMI3

Abstract

Large-scale, dawn density depletions in the equatorial ionosphere have been observed by instruments on the STPSat1 and CHAMP satellites. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) ionosphere model SAMI3 (Sami3 is Also a Model of the Ionosphere) is used to study this new phenomenon using a self-consistent electric field. Two empirical Horizontal Wind Models (HWM) are used in the simulation study: HWM93 and HWM07. Dawn density depletions are found using HWM07 but not with HWM93. The cause of the depletions is a post-midnight enhancement of the eastward electric field that generates an upward plasma drift. This drift lifts low density plasma to high altitudes (i.e., ∼600 km). We compare our model results to remote sensing data and to in situ satellite data. Copyright © 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.