Universal time dependence of nighttime F region densities at high latitudes

Coincident auroral-zone experiments using three incoherent-scatter radars at widely spaced longitudes are reported. The observational results demonstrate that, during the night, the F layer electron density is strongly dependent on the longitude of the observing site. Ionization patches were observe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: De La Beaujardiere, O., Wickwar, V. B., Caudal, G., Holt, J. M., Craven, J. D., Frank, L. A., Brace, L. H.
Format: Other/Unknown Material
Language:unknown
Published: 1985
Subjects:
46
Online Access:http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19850051361
Description
Summary:Coincident auroral-zone experiments using three incoherent-scatter radars at widely spaced longitudes are reported. The observational results demonstrate that, during the night, the F layer electron density is strongly dependent on the longitude of the observing site. Ionization patches were observed in the nighttime F region from the Chatanika and EISCAT radars, while densities observed from the Millstone radar were substantially smaller. The electron density within these maxima is larger at EISCAT than at Chatanika. When observed in the midnight sector auroral zone, these densities had a peak density at a high altitude of 360-475 km. The density was maximum when EISCAT was in the midnight sector and minimum when Millstone was in the midnight sector. A minimum in insolation in the auroral zone occurs at the UT when Millstone is in the midnight sector.