Disturbances of electron density in the high latitude upper (F-region) ionosphere induced by X-mode HF pump waves from EISCAT UHF radar observations
https://doi.org/10.30758/0555-2648-2022-68-3-248-257
Abstract
The paper presents experimental results concerning disturbances of electron density in the high latitude ionosphere F-region, induced by powerfulHF radio waves (pump waves) with extraordinary (X-mode) polarization. The experiments were carried out at the EISCAT/Heating facility at Tromsø, Norway. The EISCAT UHF incoherent scatter radar (ISR), running at 930 MHz, co-located with a heating facility, was used to detect the disturbances of electron density. In the course of the experiments, the X-mode HF pump waves radiated into the F-region towards the magnetic zenith at different pump frequencies and ratios of the pump frequency to the critical frequency of the F2 layer.The effective radiated power was ERP = 360–820 MW. An increase in electron densities was found in a wide altitude range, giving rise to field-aligned ducts with enhanced electron density. The features and behavior of the ducts were investigated. It was revealed that the ducts are formed under quiet background geophysical conditions in a wide altitude range up to the upper altitude limit of EISCAT ISR measurements, when the pump frequencies were both below and above the critical frequency of the F2 layer (fH ≤ foF2 or fH > foF2). A plausible formation mechanism of the ducts is discussed.
Keywords
duct,
electron density,
EISCAT,
experiment,
polarization,
F-region,
high-latitude ionosphere,
HF pump wave,
incoherent scatter radar
Supporting agencies: The investigation was carried out within grant № 22-17- 00020 from Russian Scientific Foundation, https://rscf.en/project/22-17-00020/
About the Authors
N. F. Blagoveshchenskaya
State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg
T. D. Borisova
State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg
A. S. Kalishin
State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg
I. M. Egorov
State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg
G. A. Zagorskiy
State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg
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Review
For citations:
Blagoveshchenskaya N.F., Borisova T.D., Kalishin A.S., Egorov I.M., Zagorskiy G.A. Disturbances of electron density in the high latitude upper (F-region) ionosphere induced by X-mode HF pump waves from EISCAT UHF radar observations. Arctic and Antarctic Research. 2022;68(3):248-257. https://doi.org/10.30758/0555-2648-2022-68-3-248-257
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