Accession Number : ADA110051

Title :   Barium Cloud Test in Peru.

Descriptive Note : Interim rept. Mar-Apr 79,

Corporate Author : AIR FORCE WRIGHT AERONAUTICAL LABS WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH

Personal Author(s) : Johnson,Allen L. ; Swanson,Roger L.

Report Date : NOV 1981

Pagination or Media Count : 24

Abstract : In an effort to investigate the mechanism causing ionospheric irregularities to form in the equatorial region an experiment was designed by the Max Planck Institute involving the release of two barium clouds in the F region just after sunset. The electric field resulting from the two barium clouds was expected to trigger an ionospheric irregularity which would propagate up through the ionosphere as a depletion bubble. This report describes an attempt to observe the ionospheric irregularity as it passed through the line-of-sight between an aircraft and a communication satellite. The aircraft was equipped with a UHF receiver which measured phase and amplitude of the downlink Satellite Signal. Due to the release of the barium 50 km below the planned altitude no significant ionospheric irregularities were formed. The aircraft measured minor amplitude variation (1dB) and no significant phase variations resulting from ionospheric irregularities triggered by the barium release. (Author)

Descriptors :   *IONOSPHERIC SCINTILLATION, *RADIO INTERFERENCE, LINE OF SIGHT, EQUATORIAL REGIONS, CLOUDS, AIRBORNE, BUBBLES, F REGION, DOWNLINKS, BARIUM, COMMUNICATION SATELLITE TERMINALS, AIRGLOW, ULTRAHIGH FREQUENCY, SOUNDING ROCKETS, ION DENSITY, PHASE SHIFT.

Subject Categories : ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS
      RADIOFREQUENCY WAVE PROPAGATION

Distribution Statement : APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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