Magnetic‐flux‐tube‐integrated evolution of equatorial ionospheric plasma bubbles

Abstract

The nonlinear evolution of plasma bubbles in the equatorial ionosphere has been computed using an inhomogeneous magnetic‐flux‐tube‐integrated model. We find that plasma bubbles develop in a fundamentally different manner with northern and southern hemispheric coupling as opposed to their evolution without coupling. Bubble density and electric field signatures derived from the numerical simulations are shown to be in qualitative agreement with recent satellite observations.