ELECTRON CONTENT VARIATIONS IN THE AURORAL IONOSPHERE DETERMINED FROM SATELLITE RADIO OBSERVATIONS,

Abstract

The relationship between (1) spatial distri bution of ionization using 20 and 40 mc/s transmissions from a satellite, (2) the location and luminosity profiles of auroras as measured from ground stations in Alaska, and (3) the flux and energy spectrum of particles penetrating to auroral height as measured by satellite instru ments is reported. The experiment was carried out in March, 1962 using a polar orbiting satellite which made twelve passes over Alaska during its operational lifetime. The emphasis of this work is on the determination by radio techniques of the variation of electron content in the ionosphere connected with incident parti cle fluxes. Methods of determining the electron content from differential Doppler measurements are discussed in detail. The experimental re sults show that increases in electron content are morphologically correlated with regions of auroral luminosity and incident particle fluxes. The results of the experiments also point out the value of conducting coordinated expe-ents in the study of auroral phenomena. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0413541

Entities

People

  • Jerry L. Hook

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artificial Satellites
  • Electrons
  • Ground Stations
  • Ionosphere
  • Luminosity
  • Particle Flux
  • Particles
  • Satellite Radio

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Snow Cover Descriptors for Reptiles and Their Illustrations.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Space