Bistatic HF radar diagnostics induced field‐aligned irregularities

Abstract

In late March and early April of 1995, an experimental campaign involving the modification of the F 2 ionospheric layer took place in Russia and Ukraine. HF pulsed and CW Doppler radar observations of field‐aligned irregularities within the region over the Sura heater were made with the UTR‐2 radio telescope serving as the receiver. In this paper, some preliminary results of our bistatic radar observations of the modified region are presented. These results include measurements of the drift, evolution, and decay of inhomogeneities and turbulence contained within the modified region and evidence of interactions between the ionospheric plasma, Alfvén waves, and free geomagnetic pulsations.