On the spatial distribution of decameter-scale subauroral ionospheric irregularities observed by SuperDARN radars

Simple item page
dc.contributorVirginia Techen
dc.contributor.authorde Larquier, S.en
dc.contributor.authorPonomarenko, Pavlo V.en
dc.contributor.authorRibeiro, A. J.en
dc.contributor.authorRuohoniemi, J. Michaelen
dc.contributor.authorBaker, Joseph B. H.en
dc.contributor.authorSterne, K. T.en
dc.contributor.authorLester, M.en
dc.contributor.departmentElectrical and Computer Engineeringen
dc.date.accessed2014-01-31en
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-05T14:20:23Zen
dc.date.available2014-02-05T14:20:23Zen
dc.date.issued2013-08-01en
dc.description.abstractThe midlatitude Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radars regularly observe nighttime lowvelocity SubAuroral Ionospheric Scatter (SAIS) from decameterscale ionospheric density irregularities during quiet geomagnetic conditions. To establish the origin of the density irregularities responsible for lowvelocity SAIS, it is necessary to distinguish between the effects of high frequency (HF) propagation and irregularity occurrence itself on the observed backscatter distribution. We compare range, azimuth, and elevation data from the Blackstone SuperDARN radar with modeling results from ray tracing coupled with the International Reference Ionosphere assuming a uniform irregularity distribution. The observed and modeled distributions are shown to be very similar. The spatial distribution of backscattering is consistent with the requirement that HF rays propagate nearly perpendicular to the geomagnetic field lines (aspect angle 1 degrees). For the first time, the irregularities responsible for lowvelocity SAIS are determined to extend between 200 and 300 km altitude, validating previous assumptions that lowvelocity SAIS is an Fregion phenomenon. We find that the limited spatial extent of this category of ionospheric backscatter within SuperDARN radars' fieldsofview is a consequence of HF propagation effects and the finite vertical extent of the scattering irregularities. We conclude that the density irregularities responsible for lowvelocity SAIS are widely distributed horizontally within the midlatitude ionosphere but are confined to the bottomside Fregion.en
dc.description.sponsorshipNSF AGS-0946900en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationLarquier, S. de, P. Ponomarenko, A. J. Ribeiro, J. M. Ruohoniemi, J. B. H. Baker, K. T. Sterne, and M. Lester (2013), On the spatial distribution of decameter_scale subauroral ionospheric irregularities observed by SuperDARN radars, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 118, 5244-5254, doi:10.1002/jgra.50475.en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1002/jgra.50475en
dc.identifier.issn2169-9380en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/25311en
dc.identifier.urlhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jgra.50475/pdfen
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherAmerican Geophysical Unionen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectIonosphereen
dc.subjectIrregularitiesen
dc.subjectSuperDARNen
dc.subjectHigh-latitude convectionen
dc.subjectHF-backscatter echoesen
dc.subjectRegion irregularitiesen
dc.subjectAspect sensitivityen
dc.subjectNetworksen
dc.subjectFielden
dc.subjectEquatorialen
dc.subjectLocationen
dc.subjectVelocityen
dc.subjectSystemsen
dc.titleOn the spatial distribution of decameter-scale subauroral ionospheric irregularities observed by SuperDARN radarsen
dc.title.serialJournal of Geophysical Research-Space Physicsen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
jgra50475.pdf
Size:
2.19 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main article
Download

Collections

Scholarly Works, Electrical and Computer Engineering