Ionospheric heater

A Ionosphärenheizer or a high-frequency Ionosphärenpumpe is a plasma heater for the magnetized plasma in the ionosphere. It comprises a strong high-frequency radio wave transmitter for irradiating the plasma in the ionosphere. Such systems are used for the investigation of plasma turbulence, the ionosphere and the upper atmosphere. Irradiating the ionosphere causes a local heating of the magnetic plasma mainly by the so-called upper hybrid resonance (see plasma oscillation ) on the heated, the electrons and ions are accelerated thereby. Send the systems with a steep beam antenna array in the high frequency range ( 3-30 MHz), are thrown back into the radio waves from the ionosphere to the ground. They can be used from the ground due to a number of controllable plasma turbulence phenomena are caused when the ionosphere is influenced by itself quiet and not by magnetic field disturbances. This active research method complements passive observations naturally induced phenomena in the study of the ionosphere and upper atmosphere.

The studied plasma turbulence phenomena include various types of nonlinear wave interactions in which superimpose different waves in the plasma and interact with the transmitted radio waves, formation and structure of fibrous plasma structures and electron acceleration. The turbulence can be observed by their weak electromagnetic emanations or visible light emissions are measured by incoherent backscatter radar. The visible emissions result from the excitation of atmospheric atoms and molecules by electrons accelerated in the plasma turbulence. Since this process is the same as the northern lights, the visible emissions were sometimes referred to as artificial northern lights, with sensitive cameras are needed for detection, which is not the case with real auroras.

Ionosphärenheizer must be sufficiently strong to allow the study of plasma turbulence, with any penetrating radio radiation affects the ionosphere, by accelerating the electrons. Nevertheless, the research facilities must have strong stations, the energy flow remains in the ionosphere in the strongest plant ( HAARP ) less than 0.03 W/m2. This results in an energy density in the ionosphere, which is less than one hundredth of the usual thermal energy density of the ionospheric plasma. The energy flow can also use the solar radiation at the earth's surface can be compared, which is approximately 1.5 kW/m2. During auroral activity can be observed in general, no ionospheric effects of Ionosphärenheizern, since the radiation is largely swallowed up by the naturally excited ionosphere.

The fact that radio waves affect the ionosphere, was discovered in the 1930s with the Luxembourg effect. Since the early 1970s experimented with Ionosphärenheizern.

Active Ionosphärenheizer

  • The plant on the Ramfjordheide near Tromsø in Norway, operated by European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association ( EISCAT ), capable of a radiation power of 1.2 MW or over 1 GW effective radiated power ( ERP).
  • Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar ( SPEAR ) is a system that (UNIS ) is operated next to the EISCAT facilities in Longyearbyen on Svalbard from the University Centre in Svalbard, capable of a radiated power of 192 kW and 28 MW ERP.
  • The Sura facility in Vasilsursk near Nizhny Novgorod in Russia, capable of a radiated power of 750 kW and 190 MW ERP.
  • The High Frequency Active Auroral Anlgage of the Research Program ( HAARP ) north of Gakona (Alaska), capable of a radiation power of 3.6 MW and 4 GW ERP.
  • HIgh Power Auroral Stimulation Observatory ( HIPAS ) northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, capable of a radiation power of 1.2 MW and 70 MW ERP.

Swell

  • Geophysics
  • Atmosphere
  • Plasma Physics
Digital Object Identifier
395015
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