Equatorial spread F: a review of recent experimental results

In this paper the authors review an intense research effort aimed at understanding the large scale disruption of the equatorial F layer which often commences just after sunset, and lasts for most of the night. A very attractive explanation for the phenomena, although one not universally accepted, is that the F layer is unstable to the classic Rayleigh-Taylor condition in which a heavy fluid, the plasma, is supported against gravity by a light 'fluid', the Earth's magnetic field. It is concluded that a reasonable case has been made for this explanation provided that the concept is extended to include nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor like buoyancy effects above the F peak where linear process is stable. Internal gravity waves in neutral atmosphere seem to play an important role in seeding the Rayleigh-Taylor process with large scale finite amplitude perturbations. One of the remarkable features of this phenomena is the nearly simultaneous generation of structure with scale sizes spanning five orders of magnitude. These results may have applications in astrophysical processes where the Rayleigh-Taylor instability is thought to play a role. (Auth.)