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Ann. Geophys., 24, 115-128, 2006
www.ann-geophys.net/24/115/2006/
© European Geosciences Union 2006
Spectral width of SuperDARN echoes: measurement, use and physical interpretation
P. V. Ponomarenko1 and C. L. Waters1,2
1University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
2CRC for Satellite Systems, Australia
Abstract. The Doppler velocity and spectral width are two important parameters derived
from coherent scatter radar systems. The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network
(SuperDARN) is capable of monitoring most of the high latitude region where
different boundaries of the magnetosphere map to the ionosphere. In the past,
the spectral width, calculated from SuperDARN data, has been used to identify
the ionosphere footprints of various magnetosphere boundaries. In this paper
we examine the way the spectral width is presently estimated from the radar
data and describe several recommendations for improving the algorithm. Using
the improved algorithm, we show that typical spectral width values reported
in the literature are most probably overestimated. The physical
interpretation of the cause of various magnitudes of the spectral width is
explored in terms of the diffusion and dynamics of ionospheric plasma
irregularities.
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