Continuation of Radar Studies of the Equatorial Ionosphere

这个项目关注的是 赤道高层大气和电离层。 50公里到 1000公里高度的大气层将使用一个探测器进行探测。 希卡马卡电台的甚高频雷达 秘鲁利马附近的天文台。该设施由 秘鲁地球物理研究所 科学基金会，是最大的大气甚高频雷达 现有的设施，以及同类产品中唯一的仪器 位于赤道纬度。 研究将集中在 电离层等离子体不稳定性（干扰 高空电离分量的平衡分布 大气层以上约100公里的高度），并在测量 风，大气波动和湍流的影响， 公里区域。 等离子体不规则体的形状沿着和 将测量垂直于地磁场方向的 使用干涉雷达成像技术， 多个接收天线;这种测量将有助于 发展等离子体不稳定性演化模型。时间 分辨率将足以测量漂移速度， 等离子体结构的时间演化在视场的 大约7度（在100度时大约12公里的水平距离 km高度）。 50至100公里区域的测量将 针对风、波浪和湍流之间的相互作用， 过程和湍流强度的高度分布。 适用于这种测量的各种雷达技术也将 改进和比较。

This project is concerned with the dynamics of the equatorial upper atmosphere and the ionosphere. The 50 km to 1000 km altitude region of the atmosphere will be probed using a very high frequency (VHF) radar at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory near Lima, Peru. This facility, operated by the Geophysical Institute of Peru with support form the National Science Foundation, is the largest atmospheric VHF radar facility in existence, and the only instrument in its class located at equatorial latitudes. Studies will focus on ionospheric plasma instabilities (processes which disturb the equilibrium distribution of the ionized component of the upper atmosphere above roughly 100 km altitude), and on measurements of winds, atmospheric waves and turbulence in the 50 to 100 kilometer region. The shapes of plasma irregularities along and perpendicular to the geomagnetic field direction will be measured using interferometric radar imaging techniques which make use of multiple receiving antennas; such measurements will aid in developing models of plasma instability evolution. Time resolution will be sufficient to measure the drift velocity and temporal evolution of plasma structures in a field of view of approximately 7 degrees (about 12 km horizontal distance at 100 km altitude). Measurements in the 50 to 100 km region will be aimed at the interactions between wind, wave, and turbulence processes, and the altitude distribution of turbulence strength. Various radar techniques suitable for such measurements will also be improved and compared.