Rossby-Khantadze Electromagnetic Planetary Waves Driven by Sheared Zonal Winds in the E-Layer Ionosphere

ORAL

Abstract

Nonlinear simulations are carried out for planetary scale [$>$ 1000km] electromagnetic Rossby and Khantadze planetary waves in the presence of a sheared zonal flow in the weakly ionized ionospheric E-layer. A variety of sheared flow profiles are studied. We shown that the nonlinear dynamics with the sheared zonal flows provides an energy source into the vortex structures. The energy transfer through the Reynolds stress tensor produces growth of the stable vortices under a variety of conditions. The energy accumulation breaks the vortex structure into multiple species according to the non-uniformity of profile of the external zonal shear flows. S. Futatani, W. Horton, T. D. Kaladze, Phys. Plasmas 20, 102903 (2013). T. D. Kaladze, L. Z. Kahlon, W. Horton. O Pokhotelov, and O. Onishenchenko, Shear flow driven Rossby-Khantadze electromagnetic planetary vortices in the ionospheric E-Layer, EPL, 106, A05302 (2014). doi: 10.1209/0295-5075/106/29001

Authors

  • S. Futatani

    LMFA-CNRS, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Universite de Lyon, Ecully, France

  • W. Horton

    University of Texas at Austin, IFS, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Fusion Studies, University of Texas at Austin

  • L.Z. Kahlon

    Physics Department, Government College University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

  • T. Kaladze

    I. Vekua Institute of Applied Mathematics, Tbilisi State University, 0186 Tbilisi, Georgia