High Frequency Radar Studies of the Very High Latitude Ionosphere

高纬度地区的电离层受到来自磁层的各种能量输入的干扰，包括粒子降水、电场和电流的流动，所有这些最终都源于太阳风和磁层外边界的相互作用。电离层密度的不规则和漂移在很大的尺度和速度范围内都存在。现代雷达系统的部署，具有复杂的计算机诊断和数据压缩能力，可以测量这些不规则和漂移，作为对高纬度电离层进行彻底研究的一部分，并为解决与高纬度无线电通信相关的实际问题提供信息。该合同是为了继续支持位于拉布拉多鹅湾的约翰霍普金斯大学雷达，以及该地区的卫星测量、其他地面仪器和南极洲的类似雷达。南极雷达在哈雷湾，磁共轭点，即磁力线穿过鹅湾电离层，延伸出许多地球半径进入磁层，回到南半球电离层的地方。来自磁层的电流、电场和粒子倾向于沿着场线延伸，并且在共轭点上是相同的，但这些差异提供了磁层和电离层之间耦合的重要信息。

The ionosphere at high latitudes is disturbed by a variety of energy inputs from the magnetosphere, including particle precipitation, electric fields, and the flow of electrical currents, all ultimately originating with the interaction of the solar wind and the outer boundary of the magnetosphere. Ionospheric density irregularities and drifts are present over a wide range of scale sizes and velocities. The deployment of modern radar systems, with sophisticated computer diagnostics and data compression capabilities, allows these irregularities and drifts to be measured as part of a thorough study of the high latitude ionosphere, and provides information for the solution of practical problems associated with radio communication at high latitudes. This award is for continued support of the Johns Hopkins University radar at Goose Bay, Labrador, in conjunction with satellite measurements, other ground based instruments in the area, and a similar radar in Antarctica. The Antarctic radar is at Halley Bay, the magnetic conjugate point, i.e., the place where the magnetic field lines that thread the Goose Bay ionosphere, and extend out many earth radii into the magnetosphere, return to the southern hemisphere ionosphere. The currents, electric fields, and particles from the magnetosphere tend to extend along field lines and be the same at conjugate points, but the differences give important information on the coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere.