Equion, an equatorial ionospheric irregularity experiment. Interim report

Technical Report · Fri Jul 30 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7309356

Morse, F A; Edgar, B C; Koons, H C; Rice, C J; Heikkila, W J

This paper describes a coordinated rocket- and ground based study to investigate Equatorial Spread-F irregularities. Measurements by the Jicamarca backscatter radar, ionosondes, airglow instrumentation and of radio scintillations were correlated with high spatial resolution measurements of electron densities, particle fluxes and VLF-ELF fields from a rocket probe. Experimentally the authors found the following: (1) very high positive and negative electron density gradients are responsible for the enhanced radar echoes; (2) energetic particles are not part of the Spread-F phenomena; (3) wave measurements are strongly correlated with the Doppler character of the radar signals; and (4) there is a one to one correspondence of the large-scale irregularities responsible for scintillations of satellite radio transmissions and ionosonde spread echoes with the small-scale irregularities responsible for the backscatter of vhf radar signals. Implications of the data are discussed. (GRA)

• Research Organization: Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA (USA). Space Physics Lab.
• OSTI ID: 7309356
• Report Number(s): AD-A-028839
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
F REGION
FREQUENCY RANGE
HZ RANGE
IONOSPHERE
KHZ RANGE
KHZ RANGE 01-100
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
RADAR
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
RANGE FINDERS
SCINTILLATIONS
SPREAD F
WAVE PROPAGATION