Open AccessMagnetospheric radio tomographic imaging with IMAGE and Wind
Author(s) -
Zhai Y.,
Cummer S. A.,
Green J. L.,
Reinisch B. W.,
Kaiser M. L.,
Reiner M. J.,
Goetz K.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2011ja016743
Subject(s) - physics , faraday effect , tomographic reconstruction , spacecraft , rotation (mathematics) , ionosphere , optics , radio wave , antenna (radio) , radio frequency , faraday cage , magnetosphere , magnetic field , electron density , plasma , computational physics , tomography , geophysics , astronomy , telecommunications , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , computer science
Recent theoretical studies have shown the feasibility and potential scientific value of radio tomographic imaging of Earth's magnetosphere by measuring Faraday rotation and phase difference (or group delay) of coherent radio wave signals. On 15 August 2000, a 6 W linearly polarized 828 kHz signal transmitted by the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) on the IMAGE spacecraft was clearly detected by WAVES X and Z antennas on Wind spacecraft. Following our previous analysis of the path‐integrated product change of the magnetic field and plasma density based on the spin rate measurement, we report here Faraday rotation measured from absolute antenna orientation using the phase difference between the spin‐phase modeled RPI signal and the WAVES X‐ and Z‐antenna received RPI signals. The new approach gives Faraday rotation without the mod ( π ) ambiguity. The average electron density extracted along a typical signal propagation path over a 1 hour measurement window agrees well with empirical models of the northern polar region derived from years of measurements. Finally, we demonstrate preliminary 2‐D radio tomographic imaging of magnetospheric plasma density using the Faraday rotation measurement.