Optimal analysis of incoherent scatter radar data

Abstract

A lag‐profile data collection mode has recently become operational at Millstone Hill. A new data analysis technique has been developed in which one or more matrices of ion‐line lagged products are analyzed simultaneously, along with any available a priori information on ionospheric and system parameters such as ionosonde and plasma‐line estimates of f 0 F 2 . The analysis yields spline function estimates of height‐varying ionospheric parameter profiles. The effect of the full two‐dimensional (range‐lag) radar ambiguity function is included in this analysis. Millstone Hill single‐pulse lag profile data are presented and analyzed and the new technique is shown to produce ionospheric parameter profile estimates with significantly better height resolution than would be possible if the lag profile matrix were first divided into ACFs by application of a summation rule.