Ionospheric Plasma Layers
Intermediate layers are altitudinally thin, weakly ionized layers of
enhanced plasma density that frequently form at altitudes of 140-150 km
and slowly descend to about 110 km over periods of several hours. They
are most commonly observed at night, because the very low nighttime plasma
density below the F-region peak allows them to stand out clearly. The
layers may be composed of metallic ions formed when meteors enter the
upper atmosphere. Their slow downward motion is thought to be caused by
tidal winds. Both of these hypotheses will be investigated by
sounding rocket experiments carried out by NASA
and UTD.
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