Mathematical modeling of nighttime enhanced electron density regions in the Earth’s ionospheric F2 layer and plasmasphere

A mathematical modeling method and the global numerical model of the Earth’s upper atmosphere were used to study nighttime enhanced electron density regions (EEDRs) in the ionospheric F 2 layer and their possible manifestations at altitudes of the Earth’s plasmasphere. It has been established that EEDRs are formed owing to latitudinally nonuniform longitudinal (along the magnetic field) plasma flows from the plasmasphere into the nighttime ionosphere and the wind transport of ions along geomagnetic field lines. The specific features of the effect of ionospheric-plasmaspheric plasma transport processes, related to their three-dimensional character, on EEDRs have been revealed.