Premium
On the relation of Langmuir turbulence radar signatures to auroral conditions
Author(s) -
Schlatter N. M.,
Ivchenko N.,
Häggström I.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2013ja019457
Subject(s) - incoherent scatter , ionosphere , radar , doppler effect , physics , f region , line (geometry) , computational physics , doppler radar , altitude (triangle) , plasma , earth's magnetic field , geophysics , magnetic field , astronomy , mathematics , computer science , telecommunications , geometry , quantum mechanics
We present a statistical study of anomalous radar echoes observed in the auroral ionosphere thought to be signatures of Langmuir turbulence (LT). Data obtained with the European Incoherent Scatter Svalbard radar during the international polar year (IPY) were searched for these anomalous echoes in the auroral F region. In incoherent scatter radar experiments LT may in certain circumstances be observed as enhanced backscattered radar power at the ion line frequencies, plasma line frequencies, and at zero Doppler shift. The power enhancement at zero Doppler shift could arise due to Bragg scattering from nonpropagating density fluctuations caused by strong LT. In the IPY data set, around 0.02% of the data comply with our search criteria for altitudes above 190 km based on the ion line spectrum including enhancement at zero Doppler shift. The occurrence frequency of the identified events peaks in the premidnight sector and increases with local geomagnetic disturbance. Enhanced backscattered power is observed with limited altitude extent (below 20 km in 70% of the events), and the altitude distribution of identified radar signatures in the ion line channel has a peak at about 220 km. Enhancement of the plasma line is observed with the ion line enhancements in more than 60% of the events. Two classes of enhanced plasma lines occur. In the first class, plasma lines are limited in frequency and altitude and occur at altitudes of ion line enhancements. In the second class, the plasma lines are spread in frequency and range and are observed at lower altitudes than the first class (at about 170 km) with frequencies close to 3 MHz. Available optical data available indicate that the identified events to occur during auroral breakup with high‐energy electron precipitation.