The first time observations of low-latitude ionospheric irregularities by VHF radar in Hainan

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• 作者：BaiQi Ning (12) nbq@mail.iggcas.ac.cn
  LianHuan Hu (123)
  GuoZhu Li (12)
  LiBo Liu (12)
  WeiXing Wan (12)
• 关键词：low ; latitude ionosphere – ionospheric irregularities – VHF radar
• 刊名：SCIENCE CHINA Technological Sciences
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：May 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：55
• 期：5
• 页码：1189-1197
• 全文大小：909.6 KB
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• 作者单位：1. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China2. Beijing National Observatory of Space Environment, Beijing, 102213 China3. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100081 China
• 刊物类别：Engineering
• 刊物主题：Chinese Library of Science
  Engineering, general
  
• 出版者：Science China Press, co-published with Springer
• ISSN：1869-1900

文摘

Sanya VHF radar (18.4°N, 109.6°E, dip latitude 12.8°N) at Hainan Island is the first coherent backscatter radar for sounding low-latitude ionospheric irregularities in the mainland of China. In this paper, we present the first results of low-latitude ionospheric E and F region irregularities using the radar data during the period from February 2009 to March 2010. The Doppler velocity of radar echoes from E region field aligned irregularities (FAIs) was about several tens of meters per second, while the Doppler spectral width was appreciably larger than the velocity, and could reach one hundred meters per second, indicating that the observed E region FAIs belonged to type 2 irregularities. The observations of range time intensity (RTI) maps of FAIs showed that E region irregularities most often occurred at night within the altitude range 85–115 km, and were rarely observed at afternoon hours. The percentage occurrence of E region FAIs maximized during spring months (Feb.–May) with a peak value over 80%. The heights at which the strongest echo related FAIs occurred were mainly around 100 km, lower than h’Es and the difference is mostly 10–20 km. December solstice seemed to be the minimum period of occurrence when the FAI echoes were commonly detected at a narrow altitude range 90–100 km. Moreover, simultaneous radar and GPS observations during spread F events in the pre-midnight hours of solar minimum revealed that significant GPS L band scintillations coincided with the appearance of F region plasma plume structures, which extended up to 450 km in altitude.