Accession Number:
AD0733563
Title:
Photometric Studies of Modified Ionospheric Behavior
Descriptive Note:
Final rept. 27 Oct 1969-30 Jun 1971
Corporate Author:
PITTSBURGH UNIV PA
Personal Author(s):
Report Date:
1971-08-01
Pagination or Media Count:
30.0
Abstract:
The report describes the method developed for detecting radio frequency heating of the electrons in the F region through attendant effects on the intensity of radiation from excited oxygen atoms in that region of the ionosphere. The changes in the F region of the ionosphere produced by r.f. energy from a powerful 1.6 Mw ground-based transmitter at Platteville, Colorado, were detected optically by a spatial-scanning filter photometer constructed for the purpose. At low electron temperatures and small r.f. heating, the intensity of the atomic oxygen 1D to 3P 6300A radiation is decreased suppressed as a result of reduced electron-ion recombination production of excited oxygen atoms in the 1D state. At higher electron temperatures andor stronger r.f. heating, the 6300A intensity is increased ENHANCED as a result of electron impact excitation of ground state 3P oxygen atoms to the excited 1D state.
Descriptors:
Subject Categories:
- Atmospheric Physics