A new method for in situ electron temperature determinations from plasma wave phenomena

Abstract

A discrepancy has been reported between the values of the electron temperature t sub e deduced from satellite electrostatic probe measurements and ground based radar backscatter measurements. This discrepancy (radar backscatter temperature less than the probe temperature) is not present when the probe experiment is flown on a rocket to lower altitudes but reappears when the rocket probe attains higher altitudes. There is a need for an independent radio wave method for making in-situ t sub e measurements in order to help resolve this problem. A new method of determining t sub e from the satellite resonant phenomena is presented. It is based on the splitting (observed at high latitudes) of the diffuse resonance which occurs at the frequency f sub d1 between f sub h and 2 f sub h. The advantage of this method over the other methods involving ionospheric resonances is the simplicity of the required calculations. There is, however, the limitation of plasma conditions where the f sub d1 resonance can be observed and the limitation to mid-to-high latitudes where the splitting is observed.