Statistics of incoherent scatter multiparameter fits

Abstract A new statistical inversion method to estimate the errors in incoherent scatter measurements for a given set of ionospheric parameters is presented. The possibilities to determine the ion composition in a multiparameter fit are considered. The method can also be applied to estimate the requirements on the measurement of autocorrelation functions to find the minimum possible lag resolution and lag extent for a stable inversion solution of the plasma parameters, and the temperature interval for which a stable solution exists, with or without the zero lag data. The results are illustrated in the case of a multipulse code.