Power spectra and effect of magnetic activity on sub-equatorial ionospheric scintillations

Theoretical temporal amplitude and phase spectra are presented and compared to observed power spectra to consider the effect of Rayleigh-Taylor instability on wavelength irregularity as reported by Szuszczewicz and Holmes (1980). An FFT algorithm is employed to process amplitude and phase recordings taken every second by 40 and 136 MHz beacons on the Intasat and GOES-III satellites, and the results are compared with values in the Kolmogorov spectrum. A two-slope scattering mechanism is identified in the temporal amplitude spectra during periods of high scintillation, and the temporal phase spectra show a single power-law dependence with scintillation frequency.