Radar Studies of the Equatorial Ionosphere

高频雷达看到的回波由强烈的 "相干"信号从电离层的"不规则"返回 和弱的"不相干"返回从背景热 等离子体的结构。 后者的回声给了等离子体 浓度、组成、电子和离子温度，以及 是由于来自各种来源的等离子体波，包括 通过等离子体和重力波的电流 在中性大气中传播 一层薄薄的 在中纬度地区和赤道地区看到的回声， 解释道 这些不规则性会造成失真和干扰 在短波无线电通信和地对地卫星通信中 通信连接。 该奖项是为雷达研究在 秘鲁的希卡马卡天文台。 测量将由 中间层（50 - 85公里高度）的不规则性和波动 在低热层（85 - 120公里高度）， 了解产生它们的机制的性质。

The echoes seen by high frequency radars consist of intense "coherent" signal returns from "irregularities" in the ionosphere and weak "incoherent" returns from the background thermal structure of the plasma. The latter echoes give the plasma concentration, composition, electron and ion temperatures, and are due to plasma waves from a variety of sources, including electrical currents flowing through the plasma and gravity waves propagating through the neutral atmosphere. A thin layer of echoes seen at mid-latitudes and now at the equator has not been explained. The irregularities cause distortion and interference in short wave radio communication, and in ground to satellite communication links. This award is for radar studies at the Jicamarca Observatory in Peru. Measurements will be made of irregularities and waves in the Mesosphere (50-85 km altitude) and in the Lower Thermosphere (85-120 km altitude) to better understand the nature of the mechanisms producing them.