Ionospheric Irregularities: Source, Structure, Plasma Processes and Effects on Sensor Systems

Abstract

A multi-technique approach has been used at a number of geophysically interesting locations to determine various sources of high-latitude irregularities, their occurrence characteristics and effects on sensor systems. Auroral scintillation morphology and irregularity anisotropy were determined using HiLat satellite data obtained at Tromso. Global scintillation characteristics were determined as a function of the sunspot cycle and a high latitude scintillation review was prepared reflecting our improved understanding of different sources of irregularity generation. A high latitude campaign mounted under the auspices of the CEDAR initiative provided multiple diagnostic studies of the polar cusp, polar cap patches and sun-aligned arcs. Multiple sensor data on the DE-2 satellite have been utilized to isolate two different classes of plasma instabilities responsible for structuring plasma at high latitudes. Finally, an active experiment was performed with the high power HF heater at Tromso, Norway to study the characteristics of the artificially generated irregularities in the daytime sub-auroral ionosphere.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 31, 1989
Accession Number
ADA223908

Entities

People

  • C. E. Valladares
  • Clifford Bryant
  • Eileen Mackenzie
  • Patricia H. Doherty
  • Sunanda Basu

Organizations

  • Emmanuel College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Bandwidth
  • Computational Science
  • Databases
  • Detectors
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Geometry
  • Information Science
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Measurement
  • Meteorological Satellites
  • Physics Laboratories
  • Radar
  • Scattering
  • Three Dimensional

Readers

  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space