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First measurements of radar coherent scatter by the Radio Aurora Explorer CubeSat
Author(s) -
Bahcivan H.,
Cutler J. W.,
Bennett M.,
Kempke B.,
Springmann J. C.,
Buonocore J.,
Nicolls M.,
Doe R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2012gl052249
Subject(s) - ionosphere , physics , incoherent scatter , radar , f region , doppler effect , backscatter (email) , coherent backscattering , earth's magnetic field , optics , geophysics , computational physics , magnetic field , scattering , astronomy , telecommunications , quantum mechanics , computer science , wireless
The Radio Aurora Explorer CubeSat detected the first radar echoes during the solar storm of March 8, 2012. The 300 s ground‐to‐space bi‐static radar experiment was conducted in conjunction with the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar in the local morning (∼8 am) over Poker Flat, Alaska. The geomagnetic conditions for the E region field‐aligned irregularity generation were optimal due to strong (about 1500 m/s) F region ion drifts and sufficient E region ionization (electron densities were ∼2 × 10 11 m −3 ). The corresponding E region electric field of ∼80 mV/m was larger than the excitation threshold for the Farley‐Buneman instability. An auto‐correlation analysis resolved, for the first time, the distribution of auroral E region backscatter with 3 km resolution in altitude and sub‐degree resolution in aspect angle. Moreover, the measured Doppler velocities of the UHF scatter shows the phase speed saturation of the meter‐scale plasma waves. The measured Doppler velocity is in excellent agreement with the C s cos θ formula for auroral E region irregularities.