Modification of the earth’s ionosphere by high-power HF radio emission: Artificial periodic inhomogeneities and the sporadic E layer

Abstract

We present the results of new studies of the sporadic E layer in the case of heating of the ionosphere by high-power HF radio emission. The measurements were performed at the “Sura” heating facility. Ionosphere was modified by high-power radio emission from the “Sura” facility and was sounded by the probing radio waves of the same frequency and mode. The heating of the ionosphere resulted in the formation of artificial periodic inhomogeneities, and an increase in the intensity of all signals scattered by the D, E, and F regions and the sporadic E layer by 5–20 dB was observed. The increase was observed during heating of the ionosphere by each magnetoionic component, but was smaller for heating by an ordinary-mode wave. This effect was resonant and disappeared as a result of the frequency detuning down to 85 kHz. During the ionospheric modification, the signal-intensity increased due to modulation of the natural profile of the electron number density by the artificial periodic structure.