SA13C-4015:
Investigation of the plasma bubble and blob connection in the low latitude ionosphere
Monday, 15 December 2014
Seung Jun Oh, Space Environment Laboratory, Gang-Nam Gu, Seoul, South Korea, Hyosub Kil, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States and Ethan S Miller, JHU/APL, Laurel, MD, United States
Abstract:
The creation mechanism of plasma bubbles in the low latitude ionosphere is still under debate. Model simulations showed the creation of blobs off the magnetic equator as a consequence of the generation of bubbles. A recent study showed the co-existence of bubbles and blobs and supported the model simulation results. However, the frequent detection of blobs far beyond the bubble apex height and during solar minimum is difficult to explain by the bubble-blob connection hypothesis. In this study, we investigate the causal relationship between bubbles and blobs by analyzing the coincident C/NOFS and radar observations. The optical observations from space by the DMSP/SSUSI will also be used to identify the existence of bubbles at the time of the blob detection.
