Articles | Volume 31, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-31-1103-2013
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-31-1103-2013
Regular paper
 | 
21 Jun 2013
Regular paper |  | 21 Jun 2013

Observations of HF-induced instability in the auroral E region

N. M. Schlatter, N. Ivchenko, B. Gustavsson, T. Leyser, and M. Rietveld

Abstract. Enhancements were observed in backscattered radar power during an ionospheric heating experiment from two distinct altitude regions in the auroral E region above Tromsø. For the experiment the EISCAT Tromsø heater was operated with O mode and X mode alternated at 4.04 MHz, close to the 3rd electron gyroharmonic. Ion-line data recorded with the EISCAT UHF radar reveal different temporal evolutions as well as different ion-line characteristics for the enhancements from the two altitude regions. The upper layer is dominated by a strong central feature, whereas the lower layer has three peaks corresponding to the central feature and the two ion lines. The altitude region of the two closely spaced (altitude separation ~ 5 km) but distinct enhancements is close to the critical altitude for the heater wave.

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