Change of the high-latitude ionosphere during heating by a powerful short radio wave of the EISCAT/Heating complex according to signals of the GLONASS satellite and the incoherent scattering radar

Abstract

Results of observations of variations of temperature, electron concentration and total electron content of the high-latitude region of the ionosphere during its modification by powerful short radio waves of the heating complex EISCAT/Heating (Tromsø, Norway) according to signals of the GLONASS satellites and the incoherent scattering UHF EISCAT radar (Tromsø, Norway) have been provided. The geometry of passes of the GLONASS and GPS satellites for operating conditions of the heating complex in Tromsø has been considered. It has been shown that during the experiments on the EISCAT/Heating complex for the study of the modified structure of the high-latitude ionosphere it is more convenient to use the GLONASS satellites. Parameters of orbits of these satellites allow researching changes of total electron content in the direction along the geomagnetic field line at the place of observation. It has been shown that during heating of the ionosphere by powerful short radio waves its structure is becoming an irregular one. Operation of the heating complex in the mode "switched on – switched off" has caused appearance of wavy variations of total electron content with the periods close to the heating period. The main features of behavior of the total electron content in the case of the continuous heating of the ionosphere in the direction of the magnetic zenith according to the GLONASS satellite are: reduction of total electron content in the central zone of the antenna diagram, i. e. in the direction of the magnetic zenith, and presence of the increased values of total electron content at the edges of the heating zone. According to the incoherent scattering radar the heating of the ionosphere by the powerful short radio wave has created the region of the increased electron temperature and electron concentration along the direction of the magnetic zenith. The behavior of total electron content according to the GLONASS satellite and the radar of incoherent scattering in many respects corresponds each other except the central part. Reasons of the mismatches have been considered.

Keywords

• high-latitude ionosphere
• EISCAT
• GLONASS
• total electron content