An analysis of the plasma stability in the upper ionosphere

Ivanov and Polyakov (1998) demonstrated a possible spatial enhancement of plasma density irregularities as they propagate through the topside ionosphere. The concerned phenomenon was analyzed on the basis of the numerical solution of the equation describing the evolution of small disturbances of a quasi-wave origin. It is of interest to carry out an analytical treatment of this phenomenon, not based on computational methods. This paper presents the results of such a treatment.