CEDAR: Studies of the Dynamics of Equatorial F-region Irregularities Using Scintillation and Global Positioning System (GPS) Receivers and a Numerical Model

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The investigators will analyze data from an equatorial scintillation station at Ancon, Peru, and conduct modeling studies associated with the electrodynamics of the low latitude ionosphere under quiet and disturbed magnetic conditions. The effort includes experimental campaigns in South America in the first and third years. Other instruments to be operated during the campaigns are Fabry-Perot interferometers, GPS receivers, digisondes, and the low power mode of the Jicamarca Radar (JULIA). The primary goal of the study is to understand what conditions determine the onset of equatorial scintillations. Merging different data sets will allow the investigators to determine the background conditions of the ionosphere during the onset of scintillation and expand our view of the unstable plasma region. Specific areas of research include identifying the spatial coherence of the zonal irregularity drifts, the relation between scintillations and F-region irregularities, and the effect of geomagnetic disturbances on irregularity growth. The results of the study will contribute to the development of models for specifying and predicting scintillation conditions that might cause disruptions in transionospheric communication and navigation signals.