A hybrid Zakharov particle simulation of ionospheric heating

A one-dimensional hybrid simulation model incorporating one of the Zakharov equations for the high-frequency waves and a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of the ions is described and applied to ionospheric heating using realistic parameters. Results from the hybrid simulation are compared with a Zakharov simulation that incorporates a phenomenological model of ion damping. Both the hybrid and Zakharov simulations predict the formation of solitonlike waves. The early time behavior of the two simulations is different due to the high noise level in the hybrid simulation, but the late time behavior is quite similar.