ALTAIR: an incoherent scatter radar for equatorial spread-F studies. Topical report 1 June 1977-1 January 1978

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6403516

Tsunoda, R T; Baron, M J; Owen, J

The report presents preliminary results obtained from data collected with ALTAIR, a high-power VHF/UHF radar, during the Wideband Equatorial Program. The Wideband Equatorial Program is a coordinated field program sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) to study the physical processes underlying the production of intense field-aligned irregularities and the effects of those irregularities on satellite communication channels that operate in the gigahertz frequency range. This radar is sensitive enough for incoherent-scatter measurements as well as being capable of spatially mapping E and F region irregularities as a function of time. With data collected from the operation of ALTAIR in a sector scan mode it is possible to determine the spatial distribution of 1-m spread-F irregularities and their dynamics, and to relate them to the parameters of the background equatorial ionosphere. These relationships provide a means of critically evaluating proposed source mechanisms of equatorial spread-F.

• Research Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6403516
• Report Number(s): AD-A-056386
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BACKSCATTERING
DISTRIBUTION
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
F REGION
INCOHERENT SCATTERING
IONOSPHERE
MAPS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
RADAR
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
RANGE FINDERS
SCATTERING
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SPREAD F
WAVE PROPAGATION