Electron temperature enhancements in nighttime equatorial ionosphere under the occurrence of plasma bubbles

•We modeled an overheated state below the base of the nighttime ionosphere.•We discussed the nature of the anomalous electron temperature enhancements.•We simulated the evolution of thermal energy inside a plasma bubble.

Simultaneous in-situ measurements of electron density and temperature in the nighttime equatorial region were performed by a rocket experiment launched under solar minimum and geomagnetic quiet conditions from the station of Alcântara (2.24°S; 44.24°W), Brazil, on Dec. 18, 1995, 21:17 LT. These measurements detected during the upleg flight a large overheated area around the base of density profile. The presence of plasma bubbles was revealed during the downleg phase, as well as temperature enhancements detected preferentially at altitudes where plasma depletions are found. It was assumed that the region traversed by the rocket during the downleg was preceded before the bubble's onset by a large overheating as observed during the upleg flight. Analyzing this framework under the light of the Global Self-Consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Protonosphere (GSM TIP), as well as a 2D numerical code that simulate the growth of an instability and the evolution of thermal energy inside a bubble, we found that despite an overheated area in the F-region bottomside can disturb the electron density profile around the altitude interval where such heat is deposited, it seems not have a direct influence over parameters responsible for the bubble onset. Additionally, the phenomenon of the intra-bubble thermal enhancement could be formed due to the convection of hot-electron fluid transported from the overheated region surrounding the base of the F-region to upper altitudes by the underlying mechanism of bubble generation.