CEDAR Postdoc: Study of the Effects of Coulomb Collisions on H+ (Hydrogen) and He+ (Helium) Plasmas for Topside Incoherent Scatter Radar Applications at Jicamarca

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators will study the effects of Coulomb collisions on incoherent scatter radar spectra detected from the topside ionosphere where ionized hydrogen and helium are the dominant ion species. The study will focus on very high frequency radar observations conducted at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory using antenna beams pointed perpendicular to Earth's magnetic field. Measurements of plasma temperatures using the Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar with antenna beams pointed perpendicular to the magnetic field have been elusive to radar practitioners for many years. This study will make use of recent progress in modeling the effects of Coulomb collisions. If successful, the results will lead to the development of a multi-component collisional incoherent scatter spectrum model needed for enhanced observations of the upper ionosphere at Jicamarca. The development of the model will be based on the simulation of charged particle trajectories embedded in a collisional magnetized plasma. The model will be first tested and validated with the standard topside experiments at Jicamarca that utilize antenna beams pointed off perpendicular from the magnetic field. After the results are validated for these pointing directions, experiments will be performed with the antenna pointed perpendicular to the magnetic field. The goal is to measure plasma drifts, densities, and temperatures in the topside ionosphere at this viewing angle. This will greatly enhance the measurement capabilities at Jicamarca. The model and fitting procedure will be made available to other users of the Jicamarca radar. The study will be conducted by a post-doctoral researcher, who plans to return to the Jicamarca Radio Observatory and continue his career as a member of the observatory staff.