“…IAR turbulence and magnetospheric convective flow nonlinearly coupled via Reynolds stresses can thus form a complex system which can constitute a dynamical paradigm for plasma intermittency in the topside ionosphere. Such a scenario is in agreement with recent numerical simulations of the shear flows in drift turbulence [ Manfredi et al , 2001], which is mathematically similar to the Alfvén turbulence in the space plasmas. It is also consistent with the satellite data collected by the DE‐1, ICB‐1300, Freja, and FAST satellites [ Gurnett et al , 1984; Chmyrev et al , 1988, 1991, 1992; Streltsov et al , 1990; Dubinin et al , 1988; Knudsen and Wahlund , 1998; Grzesiak , 2000; Chaston et al , 1999, 2002, 2003a, 2003b].…”