Anisotropic Structure of Small-Scale Ionospheric Turbulence

Abstract

We consider various theoretical models for the spectrum of small-scale ionospheric turbulence. The particular role of the generalized model of the ionospheric-turbulence spectrum, which takes into account that the anisotropy (extension) of small-scale irregularities of the upper ionosphere along the Earth's magnetic field direction depends on the transverse scale of those irregularities, is emphasized. The results of the. rst target experiments on radio sensing of the midlatitude ionosphere by signals from on-orbit satellites at frequencies 150 and 400 MHz under conditions of increased solar activity are presented. The experiments were performed at the radiophysical facility in the Nizhny Novgorod region in 2003. We studied statistical characteristics of the amplitude fluctuations of the received signals for different angles ϑ between the line of sight from a satellite to a ground-based reception point and the Earth's magnetic field direction. It was found in the course of the experiments that the spectrum slope of amplitude fluctuations of the received radiation is a function of the angle ϑ. The obtained result agrees with the generalized model of the ionospheric-turbulence spectrum and can be an argument in favor of the pronounced anisotropic structure of small-scale electron-density irregularities of the midlatitude ionosphere under disturbed geophysical conditions.