Atmospheric lunar tide in the low latitude thermosphere-ionosphere

Westward tidal winds near 115 km at the magnetic equator occur during part of the upward phase of the in-situ plasma drift. Vertical motions associated with the field-aligned plasma velocity occur away from the magnetic equator.

The morphology of the lunar tide, and the phasing between the airglow and plasma velocities are consistent with E x B drift as a mechanism for linking neutral wind and plasma perturbations. This work provides the first observational quantification of global-scale E- and F-region coupling through E x B and field-aligned vertical drifts.