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Application of polar cap absorption events to the calibration of riometer systems
Author(s) -
Hargreaves J. K.,
Detrick D. L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/2001rs002465
Subject(s) - riometer , antenna (radio) , calibration , absorption (acoustics) , remote sensing , mesosphere , optics , signal (programming language) , beam (structure) , physics , ionosphere , environmental science , geodesy , geology , telecommunications , meteorology , computer science , stratosphere , geophysics , quantum mechanics , programming language
The spatial uniformity of polar cap absorption events has been exploited to test the performance of riometer systems. In an imaging riometer the use of a fixed conversion factor for obtaining the equivalent zenithal absorption from that measured with an oblique beam is verified for most of the beams, and revised factors are suggested. The readings from the corner beams are found to be unreliable, however. Factors for converting the readings from a wide‐beam antenna to true zenithal values are derived. The significance of antenna sidelobes is pointed out, and the upper limits to the absorption measurement due to the temperature of the mesosphere and to uncertainty of riometer calibration at the lowest signal levels are demonstrated.