Electrodynamics of the equatorial evening ionosphere: 1. Importance of winds in different regions

The importance of winds at different altitudes and latitudes for the electrodynamics of the low-latitude evening ionosphere is examined with a model of the global coupled ionosphere-thermosphere system. The model reproduces the main observed features of the evening equatorial plasma vortex and the prereversal enhancement (PRE) of the vertical drift. The electrodynamics is driven primarily by the zonal wind forced by the diurnally varying zonal pressure-gradient force. The zonal wind lags the zonal pressure-gradient force owing to inertia. When ion drag is important, the time lag of the wind behind the pressure gradient force is shortened, and the high-altitude evening wind turns eastward earlier than the wind at lower altitudes, where ion drag is less important. Therefore, a vertical shear of the zonal wind tends to develop at altitudes around the transition between small and large ion drag at the bottom of the F region. This wind shear is closely associated with the vertical shear in the zonal convection velocity that is part of the evening plasma vortex. Unlike previous studies, we find that the winds driving the PRE lie mainly on field lines with apexes above the peak of the equatorial F layer, field lines that extend in magnetic latitude out to nearly 30° and encompass the entire evening equatorial ionization anomaly region. Contrary to previous suggestions, the westward convection in the bottomside of the evening plasma vortex is found to weaken, rather than strengthen, the PRE. Daytime winds have relatively little influence on the low-latitude evening electrodynamics.