HIPAS near Fairbanks, Alaska[High Power Auroral Stimulation] is directed by the UCLA Plasma Physics Laboratory, and is engaged in the study of the ionosphere through the use of high power radio transmissions.
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Our planet earth can be considered as being surrounded by different “mantles” or “layers”. The outermost is the ionosphere, which connects to the magnetosphere. The lower atmosphere contains a sodium layer and noctilucent clouds. Going still lower the stratosphere contains the ozone layer. All these layers can be probed or altered by electromagnetic waves, some at HF frequencies and others at laser frequencies.
The objective then is to introduce the students to methods of measurements of the spatial and temporal variations of these mantles the ionosphere, the metallic layer, the noctilucent cloud layer and the ozone layer. The impact on the student will be to learn about the outdoor atmosphere and to learn how to collect data using the various instruments, such as the digital ionosonde, the Doppler radar, the optical spectrometer, the laser and the focusing dish. They will learn about the program LabView for control and analysis. They will use the program MATLAB to plot the data. They will also learn about plasma physics, both experimental and theoretical, using well-tested textbooks.
EISCAT
The EISCAT Scientific Association is an international research organisation operating three incoherent scatter radar systems, at 931 MHz, 224 MHz and 500 MHz, in Northern Scandinavia. It is funded and operated by research councils of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, China, the United Kingdom and Germany (collectively, the EISCAT Associates.)
EISCAT (European Incoherent Scatter) studies the interaction between the Sun and the Earth as revealed by disturbances in the magnetosphere and the ionised parts of the atmosphere (these interactions also give rise to the spectacular aurora, or Northern Lights). The radars are operated in both Common and Special Programme modes, depending on the particular research objective, and Special Programme time is accounted and distributed between the Associates according to rules which are published from time to time.
One EISCAT transmitter site consisting of a UHF system and a VHF system is located close to the city of Tromsø, in Norway, and additional receiver stations are located in Sodankylä, Finland, and Kiruna, Sweden. The EISCAT Headquarters are also located in Kiruna. In 1996 the EISCAT Scientific Association constructed a second incoherent scatter radar facility, the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR), near Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen, far to the North of the Norwegian mainland.
The Incoherent Scatter Radar requires sophisticated technology and EISCAT engineers are constantly involved in upgrading the systems.
In addition to the incoherent scatter radars, EISCAT also operates an Ionospheric Heater facility at Ramfjordmoen (including a Dynasonde) to support various active plasma physics experiments in the high latitude ionosphere.
SURA near Vasilsursk, RussiaTranslator Not Working - Documents Are Image Scans
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The Sura Ionospheric Heating Facility, located near the small town of Vasilsursk about 100 km eastward from Nizhniy Novgorod in Russia, is a laboratory for ionosphere research. Sura is capable of radiating about 190 MW, effective radiated power (ERP) on short waves. This facility is operated by the radiophysical research institute NIRFI in Nizhny Novgorod. The Sura facility was commissioned in 1981. Using this facility, Russian researchers studied the behaviour of the ionosphere and the effect of generation of low-frequency emission on modulation of ionosphere current. In the beginning, the Soviet Defense Department mostly footed the bill.
NAIC, Puerto RicoA Facility of the NSF operated by Cornell University
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The NAIC enables research in the areas of astronomy, planetary studies, and space and atmospheric sciences by providing unique capabilities and state-of-the-art instrumentation for data collection and analysis...Use of the Arecibo Observatory is available on an equal, competitive basis to all scientists throughout the world...
What Does the 430 MHz Radar See in an Ionospheric Modification Experiment? Contents: The Plasma and HF Induced Instabilties and How the Radar Detects the Plasma Instabilities. The second part contains a section on incoherent scatter and on the fluctuations causing the scatter. www.naic.edu...
[However,] The HF facility at Islote is closed. As of January 31, 2000, we are waiting for the water level to drop so that we can move out of the site. We are investigating other options for conducting this type of research.
