Abstract

Summary The CHAMP satellite has revealed new observations of the upper F region ionosphere and the thermosphere. This chapter reviews these new findings at low and equatorial latitude, from the point of view of coupling between the atmosphere and the magnetic field and between different atmospheric regions. The chapter deals with the gross features in the electron density and temperature and in the neutral density and wind. These features include the equatorial anomaly, the electron temperature morning overshoot, equatorial plasma irregularities, the zonal wind jet, terminator waves, or findings of the wave-4 structure in plasma and neutrals. Large-scale thermospheric features revealed by CHAMP are described from three perspectives. They are the thermosphere response to solar forcing, to ionospheric forcing, and to lower atmosphere forcing.

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