Coordinated investigation of plasma and neutral density fluctuations and particles during the MaCWAVE/MIDAS summer 2002 program

Abstract

The MaCWAVE/MIDAS program for investigating high‐latitude mesospheric dynamics has produced an extensive set of charged particle, plasma and neutral density measurements. We report on the results from one rocket salvo involving a MaCWAVE and two MIDAS payloads launched within a one‐hour period. Each payload carried probes for evaluating the plasma and charged particle environment, and additionally, neutral density measurements were obtained by the CONE instrument on the MIDAS payloads. With the combination of particle and electron/ion density measurements, regions with and without charged particles have been clearly identified, and the plasma measurements outside the particle layers have proven useful to characterize the turbulent activity of the neutral gas.