Dual-Beam Incoherent Scatter Radar Study of the Mesosphere at Arecibo

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The new dual-beam capability of the Arecibo Observatory incoherent scatter radar is used to derive unprecedented information about transport and momentum flux in the complex ionospheric D-region. The horizontal and vertical wavelengths, the propagation direction, and the horizontal coherence of gravity waves in the region are derived using the dual-beam technique. Small beam motions in the observation direction are used to remove historical ambiguities in the horizontal wavelength determination. The momentum flux and momentum deposition in the D-region are determined during large-wave events by quantification of terms in extant theoretical parameterizations. The characteristic time constant of gravity wave propagation is experimentally matched or bettered by a novel 4 ms inter-pulse-period sampling technique. The D-region transport characterization is central first-step to untangling the complex transport and chemical coupling in the region that determines the observed variations of temperature and density.