Abstract

We present full-scale simulation studies of the wave propagation and nonlinear interaction between large-amplitude electromagnetic waves and the magnetized ionospheric layer, with parameters relevant for high-latitude radio facitities. The simulations resolve the large-scale ionospheric profile, as well as the electromagnetic waves with wavelengths of about 100 meters and the small-scale ionospheric turbulence and cavitons with typical sizes less than a meter. The simulations reveal that the ordinary mode decays nonlinearly into ion acoustic and Langmuir waves, which then collapse into localized cavitons and large amplitude Langmuir wave envelopes. In this process, an efficient generation of Z mode waves takes place, which may explain observed topside turbulence near the peak of the ionospheric F layer. Future extensions of the numerical model are discussed.

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