Investigation of mid-latitude ionospheric currents by combined rocket techniques.A comprehensive range of neutral atmospheric and simultaneous ionospheric structure measurements were obtained from a Skylark rocket launched at Woomera during evening twilight on a quiet magnetic day. Above 150 km, good agreement was found between the results obtained from three different methods of electric field measurement despite the low field strength (about 1.5 mV/m). In the immediate vicinity of an intense sporadic E layer, the probe measurements indicated large excursions of the electrostatic field amounting to 6.5 mV/m at 105.3 km and 2.7 mV/m at 104.8 km. The calculated ionospheric current system in the vicinity of the rocket trajectory was of similar magnitude to that indicated by local ground-based magnetometers, but was diametrically opposed in direction.
Document ID
19730056557
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Rees, D.
Dorling, E. B.
Wrenn, G. L. (University College London, United Kingdom)
Aggson, T. L. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Md., United States)
Burrows, K. (Science Research Council, Radio and Space Research Station, Slough Bucks., United Kingdom)
Haerendel, G.
Rieger, E. (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik Munich, Germany)
Lloyd, K. H. (Weapons Research Establishment Salisbury, Australia)
Wilson, J. W. G. (Birmingham, University Birmingham, United Kingdom)