MESOSPHERIC ELECTRIC FIELD MEASUREMENTS WITH A PARTIAL REFLECTION RADAR

Abstract

The distribution of variations in the effective electron collision frequency is obtained over the 60-66 km altitude range in the lower ionosphere (random measurement errors within this altitude range are less than 50%). A technique is developed for estimating the variations in atmospheric electric fields at the lower boundary of the ionosphere using the experimental values of the effective electron collision frequency. It follows from our measurements that electric fields of E > 0.25 V/m in approximately 70% of the cases during quiet ionospheric and atmospheric conditions. These results must be taken into account in the investigations of ionospheric processes, meteorological and propagation effects.