DIRECT SATELLITE PROBE MEASUREMENTS OF IONOSPHERIC IRREGULARITIES IN THE F REGION AND THE POLAR CAP.
Abstract
A standing wave impedance probe has been flown on polarrr orbiting satellites through the F sub 2 layer. Continuous measurements for entire orbits were recorded and stored on magnetic tape. The data were processed and plotted completely automatically from the telemetry magnetic tapes. In studying the profiles through the F region, interesting irregularities were found superimposed on the gross features of the ionosphere. Irregularitieiies of a siize in the order of 400 kilometers were noted with the small scale density fluctuations between 5 and 10 percent. There is a tendency of these irregularities to be larger in the vicinity of the magnetic equator. Of special interest are irregular structure observed in the south polar region above the peak of the F layer. The satellite passes through the region at the same local time but covers the whole region geographically in the course of a day. One system of irregularities appears to be aligned with the magnetic latitude, while another structure appears consistently at a geographic latitude near 70 degrees. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0612650
Entities
People
- J. C. Ulwick
- R. E. Mcinerney
- W. Pfister
Organizations
- Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories