A New 50-MHz VHF Digital Bistatic Radar for E-region Space Physics Research

Abstract:

A new fully digital bistatic 50-MHz VHF radar is currently being developed by the radar group in the Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies (ISAS) at the University of Saskatchewan. This paper presents the scientific motivation for the new radar. Traditionally bistatic radars have had excellent time resolution, but were significantly lacking in range resolution. With the now available accurate timing abilities and advanced pulse modulation techniques, bistatic radar configurations with both excellent temporal and spatial resolution are able to map or 'image' the E-region. The E-region portion of the ionosphere being the base of the magnetosphere has both global (ionosphere-magnetosphere system) and local phenomena of interest. The currents in the magnetosphere close in the E-region. Field-aligned currents (FACs) and Alfven waves are phenomena with origins in the magnetosphere which present their 'signatures' in the E-region. For example, Alfven waves (produced by the Alfven wave resonator) have different time scales, from less than a Hertz to periods of tens of minutes --- and the high temporal and spatial resolution of this new digital E-region radar will be able to detect them all. The E-region is also a dynamic plasma medium with the two-steam and gradient drift instabilities present and the improved measurement abilities will give fresh physical insight.