Large Scale Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of E-region Plasma Irregularities Measured by SIMONe Norway

Abstract

Recently it has been shown that the SIMONe meteor radar network located in northern Norway is capable of measuring ionospheric E-region coherent scatter with spatial and temporal resolutions on the order of 1.5 km and 2 s (Huyghebaert et al, 2022).  These measurements are further studied, where the coherent scatter measurements are used as a tracer for large scale ionospheric phenomena, such as plasma density enhancements and ionospheric electric fields.  By applying 2D Fourier analysis to range-time-intensity data, we perform a multi-scale spatial and temporal investigation to determine the change in range over time of the large scale ionospheric structures (> 1 km) which are compared with the line-of-sight velocities of the small scale structures (< 10 m) determined from the Doppler shift of the coherent scatter.  The spectral characteristics of the structures are also investigated. This aids in characterizing the source of the structures and provides crucial information about how energy is redistributed from large to small scales in the E-region ionosphere.  Four different events are examined from June and July of 2022.Huyghebaert D, Clahsen M, Chau JL, Renkwitz T, Latteck R, Johnsen MG and Vierinen J (2022) Multiple E-Region Radar Propagation Modes Measured by the VHF SIMONe Norway System During Active Ionospheric Conditions. Front. Astron. Space Sci. 9:886037. doi: 10.3389/fspas.2022.886037