Equatorial Spread F structures and associated airglow intensity variations observed over Gadanki

Abstract. Co-ordinated campaigns have been conducted from Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E, dip lat 6.4° N) by operating simultaneously the Indian MST radar in ionospheric coherent backscatter mode and by monitoring thermosphere airglow line emissions (630.0 nm and 777.4 nm) using a narrow band multi-wavelength scanning photometer during January-March for the past five years (2003–2007) and also during April 2006, as a special campaign. Simultaneous radar and optical observations reveal optical signatures corresponding to a variety of equatorial spread F (ESF) structures. The optical signatures corresponding to ESF structures with wave-like bottomside modulations with plasma plumes, confined bottomside flat and wavelike structures, vertically extended plume structure in the absence of bottomside structure apart from the classical plasma depletions and enhancements are obtained during these campaigns. The plasma depletions and enhancements were identified using optical measurements. In addition, estimations of zonal wavelength of the bottomside structures and the inference of shears in the zonal plasma drift in the presence of confined structures, were carried out using bi-directional airglow measurements. Furthermore, it is found that the vertical columnar intensity of OI 630.0 nm airglow exceeded the slanted columnar intensity in the presence of large bottomside structure. The need for the appropriate physical mechanisms for some of the ESF structures and their characterizations with optical observations are discussed.