Phase and amplitude perturbations on the NWC signal at Dunedin from lightning-induced electron precipitation

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA094iA01p00497· OSTI ID:6534338

Dowden, R L; Adams, C D.D.

Localized ionospheric depressions near the NWC-Dunedin great circle path diffract echoes which interfere with the direct signal at the Dunedin receiver to produce perturbations in phase and amplitude. The statistics both of these perturbations and of the echo phasors (echo magnitude and echo phase) which can be deduced from them are studied here. From these statistics it is deduced that echo paths must be frequently more than a wavelength (14 km) longer than the direct path so that many of the diffracting centers (electron precipitation beams) must be laterally displaced up to 200 km from the direct path. Since echo signals from these must be diffracted through angles of approx.10/sup 0/, ionization enhancements produced by electron precipitation must frequently have lateral (cross-path) dimensions of less than 50 km, with some as narrow as 25 km. The largest perturbation magnitudes seem to require ionization enhancement of longitudinal (parallel to path) dimensions of approx.300 km. Electron precipitation confined to thin L-shells could produce such enhancements for the NWC-Dunedin path. copyright American Geophysical Union 1989

• Research Organization: Physics Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
• OSTI ID: 6534338
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 94:A1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
IONOSPHERE
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
LIGHTNING
DIFFRACTION
DISTURBANCES
IONIZATION
L SHELL
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
WAVE PROPAGATION
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
COHERENT SCATTERING
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena