Equion, an Equatorial Ionospheric Irregularity Experiment

Abstract : 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 find: (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) That 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.

[1]  Ronald F. Woodman,et al.  Radar observations of F region equatorial irregularities , 1976 .

[2]  M. Hudson,et al.  Linear theory of equatorial spread F , 1975 .

[3]  D. T. Farley,et al.  Partial reflections: A source of weak VHF equatorial spread F echoes , 1975 .

[4]  Paulikas.  Precipitation of particles at low and middle latitudes. Interim report , 1975 .

[5]  F. A. Morse,et al.  Mid‐Latitude E Region: An Examination of the Existence of a Corpuscular Source , 1975 .

[6]  C. S. Weller,et al.  Observations of equatorial EUV bands: Evidence for low‐altitude precipitation of ring current helium , 1975 .

[7]  R. A. Goldberg.  Rocket observation of soft energetic particles at the magnetic equator , 1974 .

[8]  J. Hoffman,et al.  Initial ion composition results from the Isis 2 satellite , 1974 .

[9]  H. Matsumoto,et al.  Frequency spectra of VLF plasma waves observed by Japanese ionospheric sounding rocket K-9M-41 , 1974 .

[10]  T. Laaspere,et al.  The global distribution of natural and man‐made ionospheric electric fields at 200 kHz and 540 kHz as observed by Ogo 6 , 1974 .

[11]  F. Seward.  Geographical distribution of approx.100-keV electrons above the earth's atmosphere , 1973 .

[12]  J. Blamont,et al.  Satellite observations of strong Balmer alpha atmospheric emissions around the magnetic equator , 1973 .

[13]  H. Takahashi,et al.  Excitation of oxygen permitted line emissions in the tropical nightglow , 1973 .

[14]  F. Mozer,et al.  A Technique for Making Dispersion Relation Measurements of , 1972 .

[15]  W. B. Hanson,et al.  Relationship between Fe+ ions and equatorial spread F , 1971 .

[16]  W. Heikkila.  Soft particle fluxes near the equator , 1971 .

[17]  Ronald F. Woodman,et al.  Equatorial spread F: Implications of VHF radar observations , 1970 .

[18]  Ronald F. Woodman,et al.  Vertical drift velocities and east‐west electric fields at the magnetic equator , 1970 .

[19]  J. Winningham,et al.  The Soft Particle Spectrometer in the ISIS‐I Satellite , 1970 .

[20]  D. Mcpherson,et al.  Dependence of very‐low‐frequency electric field antenna impedance on magnetospheric plasma density , 1970 .

[21]  D. Gurnett,et al.  VLF ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS OBSERVED WITH THE JAVELIN 8.45 SOUNDING ROCKET , 1968 .

[22]  George C. Reid,et al.  The formation of small‐scale irregularities in the ionosphere , 1968 .

[23]  B. Tinsley.  The circularly symmetric grille spectrometer. , 1966, Applied optics.

[24]  Yoshihito Tanaka,et al.  THE OBSERVATION OF ELF-VLF RADIO NOISE WITH SOUNDING ROCKETS L-3-2, K-9M-6 , 1966 .

[25]  A. Simon.  Instability of a Partially Ionized Plasma in Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields , 1963 .

[26]  Frederick D. Seward,et al.  The geographical distribution of = 100-keV electrons above the earth's atmosphere. , 1974 .

[27]  R. Woodman.  East-west ionospheric drifts at the magnetic equator. , 1972 .

[28]  H. Chandra,et al.  Equatorial spread-F over a solar cycle , 1972 .