The behavior of electron density and temperature during ionospheric heating near the fifth electron gyrofrequency

Abstract

The experimental phenomena involving the changes in electron temperature and electron density as a function of pump frequency during an ionospheric heating campaign at European Incoherent Scatter near Tromsø, Norway, are reported. When the pump frequency is slightly above the fifth electron gyrofrequency, the UHF radar observation shows some apparent enhancements over a wide altitude range in radar echo, ion line, and electron density respectively, which are apparently altitude independent and consistent temporally with the upshifting and spread of plasma line around the reflection altitude. However, they do not, in fact, correspond to true increase in electron density. Based on some existing theories, some discussions are presented to try to explain the above enhancements and the upshifting and spread of plasma line. Even so, the mechanism remains to be determined. In addition, the observation also shows some enhancements in electron temperature as a function of pump frequency around the reflection altitude of the pump, which are dependent on the behavior of dispersion of the upper hybrid wave near the fifth electron gyrofrequency.