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Title: Effects of magnetic storm phases on F-layer irregularities from auroral to equatorial latitudes. Quarterly report, 1 July-30 September 1993

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5409231

Although the general pattern of equatorial F-layer irregularities as a function of latitude, longitude, and geophysical conditions is in hand, the day to day variations are still difficult to evaluate. The forcing functions for day to day variations appear to be neutral winds and electric field conditions. The data indicate that at times in the irregularity season', irregularities are produced day after day. However nights of irregularities are at other times followed by one or more nights with an absence of irregularities. For the equatorial region, using scintillation data at 136 MHz, the authors have correlated the occurrence of irregularities at several stations along a relatively narrow range of longitudes at various latitudes in the Pacific sector. The sites used are in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Korea. The correlation of daily occurrence was poor. For example at magnetically quiet times there are irregularities noted at a station such as Osan, Korea (dip latitude 30 deg) with little irregularity activity at Manila (dip latitude 5 deg ), relatively close in longitude. For latitudes somewhat higher that the anomaly region, the problem arises of separating polewards effects of the equatorial plumes and the equatorwards motion of irregularity development originating in the auroral region during severe magnetic storms. A possibility exists for the generation of another class of F-layer irregularities at mid-latitudes with a body of data from Japan, Port Moresby, Osan, and Palehua, Hawaii. This is suggestive that at least in the Pacific region there is a low latitude generation of irregularities distinct from equatorial or auroral mechanisms.

Research Organization:
Boston Univ., MA (United States). Center for Space Physics
OSTI ID:
5409231
Report Number(s):
AD-A-272685/9/XAB; CNN: N00014-89-J-1754
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English