Plasma Density and Radio Echoes in the Magnetosphere

This project provided a opportunity to study a variety of interesting topics related to radio sounding in the magnetosphere. The results of this study are reported in two papers which have been submitted for publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research and Radio Science, and various aspects of this study were also reported at meetings of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) at Baltimore, Maryland and the International Scientific Radio Union (URSI) at Boulder, Colorado. The major results of this study were also summarized during a one-day symposium on this topic sponsored by Marshall Space Flight Center in December 1994. The purpose of the study was to examine the density structure of the plasmasphere and determine the relevant mechanisms for producing radio echoes which can be detected by a radio sounder in the magnetosphere. Under this study we have examined density irregularities, biteouts, and outliers of the plasmasphere, studied focusing, specular reflection, ducting, and scattering by the density structures expected to occur in the magnetosphere, and predicted the echoes which can be detected by a magnetospheric radio sounder.