Auroral and sub-auroral interaction at the F region ionosphere

Abstract : Deterioration of satellite signals and fading on HF are results of the appearance of intense irregularities of the order of meters to several hundred meters in the F layer. At auroral and sub-auroral latitudes the irregularities become intense and create serious problems. The interaction of the ionosphere during magnetic storms has been studied at auroral and subauroral latitudes. Results include a model which shows the expansion during the injection phase of the magnetic storm and the effect of storm effects of the stored up energy in the ring current during the recovery phase. In comparing observations with incoherent scatter data from Millstone Hill the total convection velocity appears to be the dominating parameter in the injection phase creation of irregularities. The work will move to studying the global effects of individual storms since the storms can inhibit irregularities at the equator while creating them at auroral and sub-auroral latitudes. Keywords: Sub-Auroral irregularities; Spread f region. (JHD)