III: Generation of Turbulence and Wave-Induced Heating During Ionospheric Modification

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The PI will employ a new numerical approach for studying how the generation of Langmuir waves by the HF heater is influence by altitude variation in the heater intensity profile, and - on longer hydrodynamical time scales - by heater-induced spatial distortions in the plasma density. In order to quantify the effects ionospheric inhomogeneity has on Langmuir wave energy, the PI will numerically determine modified thresholds for driving absolute instabilities for density and heater-intensity profiles based on observations and theoretical models. Together, these two components of the research will answer: (1) where and how is heater energy conve3rted to Langmuir waves in the ionosphere (before and after preconditioning)? (2) what is the self-consistent kinetic nonlinear evolution of Langmuir waves and electrons? And (3) what is the distribution of accelerated electrons observed outside the heated region?