An Atlas of Ionospheric F-Region Structures as Determined by the NRL-747/S3-4 Ionospheric Irregularities Satellite Investigation.

摘要

The Naval Research Laboratory in collaboration with the Air Force Space Test Program and the Office of Naval Research conducted an 'in situ' ionospheric irregularities investigation using pulsed-plasma-probe instrumentation on the polar-orbiting STP/S3-4 satellite. The polar orbit made possible a global study of F-region ionospheric electron densities Ne, temperature Te, irregularity structures delta Ne and associated power spectral distributions Pn(k). The data provide a fundamental base upon which to catalogue similarities and differences between polar and equatorial irregularities and ultimately sort out casual mechanisms coupling plasma instabilities, ionospheric irregularities, and associated effects on communication and surveillance systems. In this report the experimental techniques is briefly described, associated data sets outlined, and a complete catalogue of ionospheric density profiles is presented covering over 600 orbits of data during the period March-September 1978. (Author)