Date of Award
1996
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Abstract
The convective properties of the propagation of electrostatic Farley-Buneman waves in the high-latitude E-region have been studied using fluid theory based on their non-local character. This case is particularly useful for HF radar echoes. A principal objective of this thesis is to develop a new approach to solving the non-local problem of the Farley-Buneman waves in the high latitude E-region, and to explore the convective properties of wave propagation.;We first discussed the traditional treatment of the non-local problem and related approaches to solving such a non-local problem. Based on these, a new formulation of the non-local problem for the Farley-Buneman waves has been introduced and a partial differential equation governing the evolution of the wave derived. This equation is actually a generalization of previous work. For this partial differential equation we have employed a geometrical optics approximation to solve it. With this approach, we introduced the concepts of local frequency and local wavenumber, and then obtained Whitham's conservation law of wave crests. To lowest order, the solution just gave us the dispersion relation in the non-local sense. The wave parameters, such as the frequency and the wavenumber, are determined to leading order.;We have found that the evolution of the aspect angle does not depend on a particular wavenumber and that the waves are always convective in the rest reference frame fixed on earth. We have studied how the results are affected by the properties of the background ionosphere. The electron temperature profile was found to be the most important parameter affecting wave propagation.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Donglei, "Convective Properties Of Farley-buneman Waves At High Latitude E-region" (1996). Digitized Theses. 2686.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/2686