Generation of the Super Small-Scale Artificial Ionospheric Irregularities in the Ionosphere Pumped by High-Power HF Radio Waves

Abstract

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. We present the results of experimental studies of generation of super small-scale plasma-density irregularities in the ionospheric F 2 region pumped by a high-power HF O-mode wave at frequencies close to the fourth gyroharmonic in the region of its interaction with the plasma. The experiments were performed using the Sura heating facility. The super small-scale irregularities were sounded by GPS satellite signals. It has been shown that super small-scale irregularities are excited with the most efficiency in the region of the magnetic zenith for the pump wave. The intensity of such irregularities and typical times of their development and decay are determined.