ICEBEAR 3-D: Utilizing a 2-D receiver configuration to obtain 3-D Mapping of E-region Plasma Density Irregularities
Abstract
The ICEBEAR VHF radar has been operational and measuring ~ 3 m plasma density perturbations in the E-region of the ionosphere for multiple years on a campaign basis, though was unable to obtain a full angle of arrival vector in both azimuth and elevation due to a wavelength spaced 1-D array at the receiver site. The receiver site antenna array has been recently re-configured, allowing the full angle of arrival vector to be determined. Each of the interferometry pairs of the re-configured 10-antenna ICEBEAR receiving array are processed using recently implemented graphics processing techniques, providing the capability for real-time analysis of the raw complex voltage samples. The transmission of a pseudo random noise phase modulated continuous-wave signal already enabled ICEBEAR to obtain range and temporal resolutions on the order of 1.5 km and 1 s, and, through utilization of the new receiver configuration, ICEBEAR can now determine the scattering location in 3-D space. The results obtained from this re-configuration provide insights related to the plasma density perturbations generated by the Farley-Buneman instability at E-region altitudes, the characteristics of which are potentially altitude dependent. This presentation will provide an overview of how the ICEBEAR receiver has been re-configured and initial results from this re-configuration.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMSA43C3232H
- Keywords:
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- 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- IONOSPHERE;
- 2435 Ionospheric disturbances;
- IONOSPHERE;
- 2736 Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS;
- 2794 Instruments and techniques;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS