Effects of pre-reversal enhancement of E x B drift on the latitudinal extension of plasma bubble in Southeast Asia

We investigated the effects of the F region bottomside altitude (h'F), maximum upward E x B drift velocity, duration of pre-reversal enhancement and the integral of upward E x B drift on the latitudinal extension of equatorial plasma bubbles in the Southeast Asian sector using the observations recorded by three GPS receivers and two ionosondes. The GPS receivers are installed at Kototabang (0.2 degrees S, 100.3 degrees E; 9.9 degrees S magnetic latitude), Pontianak (0.02 degrees S, 109.3 degrees E; 9.8 degrees S magnetic latitude) and Bandung (6.9 degrees S, 107.6 degrees E; 16.7 degrees S magnetic latitude) in Indonesia. The ionosondes are installed at magnetically equatorial stations, Chumphon (10.7 degrees N, 99.4 degrees E; 0.86 degrees N magnetic latitude) in Thailand and Bac Lieu (9.3 degrees N, 105.7 degrees E; 0.62 degrees N magnetic latitude) in Vietnam. We analysed those observations acquired in the equinoctial months (March, April, September and October) in 2010-2012, when the solar activity index F-10.7 was in the range from 75 to 150. Assuming that plasma bubbles are the major source of scintillations, the latitudinal extension of the bubbles was determined according to the S4 index. We have found that the peak of h'F, maximum upward E x B drift and the integral of upward E x B drift during the pre-reversal enhancement period are positively correlated with the maximum latitude extension of plasma bubbles, but that duration of pre-reversal enhancement does not show correlation. The plasma bubbles reached magnetic latitudes of 10 degrees-20 degrees in the following conditions: (1) the peak value of h'F is greater than 250-450 km, (2) the maximum upward E x B drift is greater than 10-70 m/s and (3) the integral of upward E x B drift is greater than 50-250 m/s. These results suggest that the latitudinal extension of plasma bubbles is controlled mainly by the magnitude of pre-reversal enhancement and the peak value of h'F at the initial phase of development of plasma bubbles (or equatorial spread F) rather than by the duration of pre-reversal enhancement.