High Frequency Radio Technique for Measuring Plasma Drifts in the Ionosphere

摘要

A technique is developed for investigating the dynamics of the auroral ionosphere through the interpretation of high-frequency radio-wave observations made at Goose Bay, Labrador. Spectral analysis of ionospheric reflections received at four spaced antennas identifies each echo by its Doppler shift, making it possible to locate several simultaneous reflection points with a limited antenna array. The radial velocity components of the reflection areas are determined from the Doppler shifts, and a resultant plasma-drift velocity is calculated from these components. The analysis technique is first tested with computer-simulated drift data; then calculations using Goose Bay data from night observations of the F region verify the technique by showing a westerly drift in late evening, shifting to an easterly drift around midnight, in agreement with F-region drift measurements made by other observational techniques.