The ICEBEAR Radar: An Overview of Results from a Year of Operations

The ICEBEAR system is an ionospheric VHF coherent scatter radar with a field of view located in the auroral zone of the Earth, where ICEBEAR stands for ionospheric continuous-wave E-region bistatic experimental auroral radar. This system has been operated on a campaign basis since December, 2017, to measure ~ 3 m plasma density irregulaties in the E-region of the ionosphere. Through the use of a pseudo random noise phase modulated continuous-wave signal, the radar is able to make measurements with simultaneously high temporal and spatial resolutions (~ 1 s, ~ 1.5 km), providing insights into the dynamics of 3 m plasma density perturbations. A wavelength-spaced receiving array was used to determine the azimuthal angle of arrival of the scattered ICEBEAR signal, providing a means to map the location of the scattered signal in 2-D (azimuth and range). This presentation will review the initial results from the ICEBEAR radar, including a comparison with SuperDARN HF coherent scatter measurements, meteor studies, measurements of the previously labelled Types 1, 2, 3, and 4 E-region coherent scatter spectra, and the detection of relatively large scale wave-like structures in the 3 m plasma density perturbations. The wave-like structures in the plasma density perturbations could be evidence of magnetospheric signatures at E-region altitudes, with possible origins discussed.