Influence of midlatitude sporadic E layer patches upon the F region plasma density

Abstract

Polarization electric fields of the E s patches on scales above about 10 km can map efficiently between the E and F regions. We propose a simple quantitative model in which the electrical coupling between the dense band-like E s patch and the F region depends on the presence of field-aligned closure currents and the orientation of the ambient effective electric field relative to the band and results in corresponding F region plasma density redistribution caused by E region polarization processes. Specifically, we show that for the representative ratio of Pedersen conductances inside and above the sporadic E patch and typical values of the ambient effective electric field, strong depletions in F layer plasma density can be produced by the patch’s polarization electric field that maps up to the F region.