1. Investigation of third gyro-harmonic heating at HAARP using stimulated radio emissions and the MUIR and Kodiak radars
- Author
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Wayne Scales, B. Isham, Brenton Watkins, Paul A. Bernhardt, O. Vega-Cancel, Alireza Mahmoudian, and J. M. Ruohoniemi
- Subjects
Atmospheric Science ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program ,Aerospace Engineering ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Narrowband ,Optics ,law ,0103 physical sciences ,Radar ,Wideband ,010306 general physics ,Zenith ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Remote sensing ,Physics ,business.industry ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,Geophysics ,Ultra high frequency ,Space and Planetary Science ,Reflection (physics) ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Ionosphere ,business - Abstract
This paper presents data from two campaigns at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program facility (HAARP) in 2011 and 2012. The measurements of stimulated radio emissions (often called stimulated electromagnetic emissions or SEE) were conducted 15 km from the HAARP site. The potential of Narrowband SEE (NSEE) as a new diagnostic tool to monitor artificial irregularities excited during HF-pump heating of the ionosphere is the main goal of this paper. This has been investigated using well established diagnostics including the Modular UHF Ionospheric Radar (MUIR) and Kodiak SuperDARN radars as well as Wideband SEE (WSEE). The measured data using these three diagnostics were compared to characterize the ionospheric parameters and study the plasma irregularities generated in the interaction region. Variation of the wideband/narrowband SEE features, SuperDARN echoes, and HF-enhanced ion lines (EHIL) were studied with pump power variation, pump frequency stepping near the third electron gyro-frequency (3 f ce ) as well as changing beam angle relative to the magnetic zenith. In particular, electrostatic plasma waves and associated irregularities excited near the reflection resonance layer as well as the upper-hybrid resonance layer are investigated. The time evolution and growth rate of these irregularities are studied using the experimental observations. Close alignment of narrowband SEE (NSEE) with wideband SEE (WSEE) and EHIL was observed. SuperDARN radar echoes and WSEE also showed alignment as in previous investigations. Correlations between these three measurements underscore potential diagnostics by utilizing the NSEE spectrum to estimate ionospheric parameters such as electron temperature.
- Published
- 2017
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