U.S.-France Cooperative Research: HF and VHF Radar Observations of Mid-Latitude Sporadic-E

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This two-year award provides support for US-France cooperative research on radar studies of electrodynamics and plasma instabilities and sporadic-E phenomenon in the upper atmosphere. The project involves Erhan Kudeki and Steven Franke at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Alain Bourdillon of the University of Rennes I, and Christian Hanuise of the University of Toulon. The investigators propose to set up a portable HF radar system, provided by the French, to complement a three-sensor VHF radar interferometer system in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Both radar systems will provide comprehensive ground base support for a proposed rocket experiment to monitor the structure and dynamics of meter scale field-aligned plasma irregularities. Use of the VHF and HF systems will allow for comparisons of metric and decametric scale irregularity structure. The project will advance understanding of the instability processes responsible for sporadic-E irregularities and provide crucial information for rocket launch decisions.