Observations of barium ion jets in the magnetosphere using Doppler imaging systems and very sensitive imaging systems using imaging photon detectors
Abstract
Observations of four shaped charge releases from rockets launched from Alaska are described. Results demonstrate that imaging and Doppler imaging instruments, based on exploiting the imaging photon detector, provide additional insight into the motion and development of low intensity targets such as the fast ion jets produced by shaped charge releases. It is possible to trace the motion of fast ion jets to very great distances, of the order of 50,000 km, outward along the Earth's magnetic field, when the conditions are suitable for the outward (upward) motion and/or acceleration of such ion jets. It is shown that ion jets, which fade below the lower sensitivity threshold of previous instruments, do not always disappear. There is no evidence of an abrupt field-aligned shear-type acceleration.
- Publication:
-
Atmospheric Studies by Optical Methods
- Pub Date:
- August 1985
- Bibcode:
- 1985asom.proc...15R
- Keywords:
-
- Barium Ion Clouds;
- Doppler Radar;
- Earth Magnetosphere;
- Photons;
- Radar Imagery;
- Radiation Counters;
- Rocket Sounding;
- Geomagnetism;
- Ion Motion;
- Particle Acceleration;
- Geophysics