THERMOMAGNETIC EFFECTS IN IONOSPHERIC PLASMA

The creation of plasma structures and significant electron heating up to 5000 K due to thermomagnetic effects are described. The standard tw o-fluid treatment gives rise to a number of growing solutions of the d ispersion relation. At F-layer heights the instabilities' growth resul ts in irregular structure at the currents either 'incoming' or 'outgoi ng' to or from the ionosphere depending on the sign of the derivative of the drift velocity in Hall's direction, and pressure irregularities corresponding to infrasonic wave generation. The electron temperature increase appears to exist at auroral latitudes when subsequent magnet ic field perturbations take place.