Dual-mode E region plasma wave observations from Millstone Hill

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA02403· OSTI ID:6463701

Del Pozo, C F; Foster, J C ^[1]; Maurice, J P ^[2]

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1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Westford (United States)
2. Univ. of Western Ontario, London (Canada)

The authors report on observations of E region plasma wave phenomena using the Millstone Hill radar installation. Millstone Hill has a dual-mode capability, namely it can receive coherent and incoherent backscatter signals with high sensitivity. The authors look at 34 cm radiation in this study, which is in the wavelength range of modified two-stream instabilities (or Farley-Buneman instabilities), which are thought to be one of the main instability sources in the lower E region. The experiment was to compare spectral properties of the unstable auroral E region with almost simultaneous line-of-sight electric field components of the E [times] B F region drift. The spectral properties looked at include peak amplitude, phase velocity, and spectral width. Conclusions include the following points. The irregularities observed tend to be field aligned. The 34 cm waves show velocities close to the ion-acoustic velocity, and their spectral signatures support the two-stream instability as a source. The waves are seen at large angles with respect to the plasma flow. Evidence was seen for the presence of a neutral wind blowing east to west during one event. A wide broadband coherent component was observed superimposed on the primary and secondary waves.

• OSTI ID: 6463701
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 98:A4; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BACKSCATTERING
E REGION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
F REGION
INELASTIC SCATTERING
INSTABILITY
IONOSPHERE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PHASE VELOCITY
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
PLASMA WAVES
RADAR
RANGE FINDERS
SCATTERING
THOMSON SCATTERING
TWO-STREAM INSTABILITY
VELOCITY