Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter

Abstract We investigate the nature of small‐scale irregularities observed in the cusp by the Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics‐2 (TRICE‐2) in regions of enhanced phase scintillations and high‐frequency coherent radar backscatter. We take advantage of the fact that the irregularities w...

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Main Authors: Andres Spicher, James LaBelle, John W. Bonnell, Roger Roglans, Chrystal Moser, Stephen A. Fuselier, Scott Bounds, Lasse B. N. Clausen, Francesca Di Mare, Connor A. Feltman, Yaqi Jin, Craig Kletzing, Wojciech J. Miloch, Jøran I. Moen, Kjellmar Oksavik, Rhyan Sawyer, Toru Takahashi, Tim K. Yeoman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-06-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097013
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author Andres Spicher
James LaBelle
John W. Bonnell
Roger Roglans
Chrystal Moser
Stephen A. Fuselier
Scott Bounds
Lasse B. N. Clausen
Francesca Di Mare
Connor A. Feltman
Yaqi Jin
Craig Kletzing
Wojciech J. Miloch
Jøran I. Moen
Kjellmar Oksavik
Rhyan Sawyer
Toru Takahashi
Tim K. Yeoman
author_facet Andres Spicher
James LaBelle
John W. Bonnell
Roger Roglans
Chrystal Moser
Stephen A. Fuselier
Scott Bounds
Lasse B. N. Clausen
Francesca Di Mare
Connor A. Feltman
Yaqi Jin
Craig Kletzing
Wojciech J. Miloch
Jøran I. Moen
Kjellmar Oksavik
Rhyan Sawyer
Toru Takahashi
Tim K. Yeoman
author_sort Andres Spicher
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We investigate the nature of small‐scale irregularities observed in the cusp by the Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics‐2 (TRICE‐2) in regions of enhanced phase scintillations and high‐frequency coherent radar backscatter. We take advantage of the fact that the irregularities were detected by spatially separated probes, and present an interferometric analysis of both the observed electron density and electric field fluctuations. We provide evidence that fluctuations spanning a few decameters to about a meter have low phase velocity in the plasma reference frame and are nondispersive, confirming that decameter‐scale irregularities follow the E × B velocity. Furthermore, we show that these “spatial” structures are intermittent and prominent outside of regions with strongest precipitation. The observations are then discussed in the context of possible mechanisms for irregularity creation.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-a2b42193ce7b472480ba4ea4c970132b2025-01-22T14:38:16ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072022-06-014912n/an/a10.1029/2021GL097013Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF BackscatterAndres Spicher0James LaBelle1John W. Bonnell2Roger Roglans3Chrystal Moser4Stephen A. Fuselier5Scott Bounds6Lasse B. N. Clausen7Francesca Di Mare8Connor A. Feltman9Yaqi Jin10Craig Kletzing11Wojciech J. Miloch12Jøran I. Moen13Kjellmar Oksavik14Rhyan Sawyer15Toru Takahashi16Tim K. Yeoman17Department of Physics and Technology UIT the Arctic University of Norway Tromsø NorwayDepartment of Physics and Astronomy Dartmouth College Hanover NH USASpace Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley Berkeley CA USASpace Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley Berkeley CA USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy Dartmouth College Hanover NH USASouthwest Research Institute San Antonio TX USAUniversity of Iowa Iowa City IA USADepartment of Physics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayDepartment of Physics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayUniversity of Iowa Iowa City IA USADepartment of Physics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayUniversity of Iowa Iowa City IA USADepartment of Physics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayDepartment of Physics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayUniversity Centre in Svalbard Longyearbyen NorwaySouthwest Research Institute San Antonio TX USADepartment of Physics University of Oslo Oslo NorwayPhysics and Astronomy University of Leicester Leicester UKAbstract We investigate the nature of small‐scale irregularities observed in the cusp by the Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics‐2 (TRICE‐2) in regions of enhanced phase scintillations and high‐frequency coherent radar backscatter. We take advantage of the fact that the irregularities were detected by spatially separated probes, and present an interferometric analysis of both the observed electron density and electric field fluctuations. We provide evidence that fluctuations spanning a few decameters to about a meter have low phase velocity in the plasma reference frame and are nondispersive, confirming that decameter‐scale irregularities follow the E × B velocity. Furthermore, we show that these “spatial” structures are intermittent and prominent outside of regions with strongest precipitation. The observations are then discussed in the context of possible mechanisms for irregularity creation.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097013
spellingShingle Andres Spicher
James LaBelle
John W. Bonnell
Roger Roglans
Chrystal Moser
Stephen A. Fuselier
Scott Bounds
Lasse B. N. Clausen
Francesca Di Mare
Connor A. Feltman
Yaqi Jin
Craig Kletzing
Wojciech J. Miloch
Jøran I. Moen
Kjellmar Oksavik
Rhyan Sawyer
Toru Takahashi
Tim K. Yeoman
Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter
Geophysical Research Letters
title Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter
title_full Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter
title_fullStr Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter
title_full_unstemmed Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter
title_short Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter
title_sort interferometric study of ionospheric plasma irregularities in regions of phase scintillations and hf backscatter
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097013
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