High-latitude irregularity spectra deduced from scintillation measurements

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Radio Science; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/RS025i005p00883· OSTI ID:6162695

Wernik, A W; Gola, M; Liu, C H; Franke, S J ^[1]

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1. Centrum Badan Kosmicznych, Warsaw (Poland) Illinois Univ., Urbana (USA)

High-latitude scintillation data show that the strength and spectral index of intensity scintillation are dependent on the propagation geometry. It is shown here that anisotropic irregularity spectra, with different indices along and across the magnetic field, lead to geometrical effects similar to those observed. In general, the spectrum along the magnetic field is steeper than that across the field, and the difference is more pronounced for nighttime conditions. Spectral anisotropy can be interpreted as a size-dependent irregularity anisotropy. It is found that large-scale irregularities in the daytime and nighttime ionosphere are almost isotropic, while small-scale irregularities are anisotropic and considerably more so at night than during the day. It is shown that anisotropic irregularity spectra could account for the observed scintillation and in situ temporal spectra with frequency-dependent slope. 26 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6162695
• Journal Information: Radio Science; (USA), Journal Name: Radio Science; (USA) Vol. 25; ISSN RASCA; ISSN 0048-6604
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANISOTROPY
AURORAL ZONES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA DENSITY
SCINTILLATIONS
WAVE PROPAGATION