Gradient-drift instability research in the region of developed equatorial plasma bubbles

The results of numerical experiments are presented, which involve calculations of the spatial distribution of electron concentration and electric potential field formed as a result of the gradient-drift instability in the domain of developed equatorial plasma bubbles. A characteristic feature of equatorial plasma bubbles is the presence of large ratios of electron concentration outside the plasma bubbles compared to their values inside the plasma bubbles. This creates large concentration gradients and high cross-field drift velocities relative to the Earth's magnetic field lines. These conditions lead to the occurrence of large positive values of the increment of the gradient-drift instability, resulting in the enhancement of small-scale inhomogeneities in the ionospheric plasma with spatial-temporal scales characteristic of equatorial F-scattering. The obtained results are consistent with previous studies by the authors, aimed at investigating the peculiarities of the increment of the gradient-drift instability.