Adding incoherent scatter mode to the Indian MST radar for upper atmospheric studies

Abstract

A powerful transmitter and a large transmitting-receiving antenna are the basic requirements of an incoherent scatter radar. The system specifications of the Indian MST radar located at Gadanki (13.5 deg N, 79 deg E) with peak power-aperture product of about 3 x 10 exp 10 W/sq m meet these requirements. Although the operating frequency of 53 MHz is not ideal for incoherent scatter sounding (due to very large sky background noise at this frequency), the signal can be usefully processed to obtain some basic ionospheric parameters like electron density, electron temperature, ion temperature, ion composition, ion drifts, and E-region collision frequency. This radar, being located a little away from the electrojet, will also be able to make measurements for heights below 200 km, where the Jicamarca radar cannot.