Investigation of incoherent scatter radar spectra features with stimulated electromagnetic emissions at EISCAT

Electromagnetic (EM) and electrostatic (ES) emissions can be generated in the ionosphere by high-power high-frequency (HF) radio waves transmitted from the ground. The signatures of the EM emissions observed on the ground are known as Stimulated Electromagnetic Emissions (SEE) and can be employed for remote measurement of ionospheric parameters. The experimental data from recent HF heating experiments near the fourth electron gyro-frequency (4f ce ) at EISCAT are presented. This paper compares the temporal behavior of SEE within a few Hertz up to 50 kHz of the transmission frequency to the time evolution of enhanced ion line (EHIL) in the incoherent scatter radar (ISR) spectrum. The correlation of Wideband SEE (WSEE) spectral lines within 1 kHz to 100 kHz such as the downshifted maximum (DM), downshifted peak (DP), and broad upshifted maximum (BUM), with HF enhanced ion lines (EHIL) is shown. It is shown that WSEE spectral lines can be used to reproduce the EHIL characteristics including altitude range, rise and decay time, maximum and minimum amplitude. A data reduction technique is developed to derive ionospheric parameters such as the electron density profile near the interaction altitude, magnetic field strength B 0 as well as the altitude profile of the EHIL using the temporal evolution of WSEE spectral lines near nf ce . © 2019 COSPA

Dusty Space Plasma Diagnosis Using the Behavior of Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes During Electron Precipitation Events

The behavior of polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSEs) during an electron precipitation event is investigated by including dusty plasma effects for the first time. The observational data recorded with the very high frequency (224 MHz) and ultrahigh frequency (930 MHz) radars at the European Incoherent SCATter Scientific Association on 10 and 11 July 2012 are presented. The observed radar echoes show that the PMSEs are both correlated and anticorrelated with the increased electron density associated with electron precipitation events on the two consecutive days. The experimental observations are compared with numerical simulations of the temporal evolution of PMSE with different background dusty plasma parameters during the electron precipitation event. Specifically, the effect of dust radius, dust density, recombination/photoionization rates, photo-detachment current, and electron density enhancement ratio on the behavior of a PMSE layer and the associated dust charging process in the course of electron precipitation events is studied. It is observed that the ratio of electron density fluctuation amplitude δne to the plasma density (ne) plays a critical role in the appearance/disappearance of the layer. The simulation results revealed that the existence of PMSE is mainly determined by dust radius and dust density. The dusty plasma parameters associated with each event are estimated. The condensation nuclei of the ice particles such as proton hydrate clusters (H+(H2O)n) or meteoric smoke particles can be determined by employing the microphysical models along with the dusty plasma simulations. This can resolve any discrepancy in the description of the observed phenomena. ©2018. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved

Multi-frequency SuperDARN radar observations of the modulated ionosphere by high-power radio-waves at EISCAT

This paper presents the first joint observations of multi-frequency SuperDARN (Super Dual Auroral Radar Network) radar of the heated ionosphere by high-power high-frequency (HF) ground-based radio-waves along with the stimulated electromagnetic emissions (SEE) measurements. The unique heating experiment design at EISCAT (The European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association) including fine frequency stepping through the fourth electron gyro-frequency (4f ce) provided the opportunity to directly determine the plasma waves responsible for SuperDARN radar echoes. Past experiments using a unique Kodiak SuperDARN receiver in Alaska with capability of data recording over a large bandwidth of frequencies different from the radar transmission frequency was able to detect some radar echoes due to pump-excited plasma waves. However, a precise characterization of these waves could not be reached in the past. Comparison of the behavior of the SEE data measured on the ground besides the multi-frequency SuperDARN observations above the heated ionosphere at EISCAT has shown a good correlation with the characteristics of upper-hybrid (UH)/electron Bernstein (EB) waves excited through parametric decay instability. The ray tracing model based on the EISCAT dynasonde data of the background ionospheric parameters has been used in order to determine the natural ionospheric effects on the propagation path of 9.9 MHz, 13.2 MHz, and 16.6 MHz signals associated with SuperDARN radar. By providing a more direct connection between SuperDARN echoes and the associated SEE measurements, this new technique potentially provides more quantitative characterization of plasma waves generated during ionospheric heating