ICEBEAR: Recent Results from a Bistatic Coded Continuous-Wave E-region Coherent Scatter Radar

Huyghebaert, Devin; Lozinsky, Adam; Hussey, G. C.; McWilliams, K. A.; Galeschuk, Draven; St.-Maurice, J.-P.; Urco, Miguel; Chau, Jorge L.; Vierinen, Juha

doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11558

Cited by 3 publications

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“…Ionospheric RF monitoring platforms measure the signal's power and phase at multiple frequencies and output several observing quantities (derived from measurements): scintillation indices, TEC from dual-frequency measurements, and Rate of TEC change Index (ROTI). In addition, the coherent radars measure the Bragg backscatter from irregularities at ρ = λ/2; spanning from ρ = 3 m for the ICEBEAR radar (Huyghebaert et al, 2019) to ρ = 15 m to Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) (Ribeiro et al, 2012) providing high-fidelity and continuous observations of small-scale irregularities in at several longitudinal sectors of mid-latitudes in the northern hemisphere. The use of these observations could be thought of as a filter bank with varying bandwidth for observing intermediate scale irregularities as illustrated in Figure 2.…”

Section: Observing Intermediate-scale Irregularitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the contrary, ground-based facilities providing GNSS and RF space weather data at lower frequencies need substantial investments to bridge the data gap. We discuss how the deployment of space weather-grade infrastructure including high-fidelity and low-cost ISMRs (Rodrigues and Moraes, 2019), Very High Frequency (VHF)/Ultra High Frequency (UHF) beacon receivers (e.g., Bernhardt et al, 2006), and coherent scatter radars (Hysell and Burcham, 2000;Huyghebaert et al, 2019), can bridge this observational gap.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Ground-based infrastructure for monitoring and characterizing intermediate-scale ionospheric irregularities at mid-latitudes

Mrak

Coster²,

Groves³

et al. 2023

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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We discuss potential science investigations at mid-latitudes enabled by a modern, space-weather-grade, ground-based Radio-Frequency network of scintillation receivers which encompasses Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Beacon receivers, along with coherent radars, and leveraging radio astronomy infrastructure for space weather application. The primary scientific research addresses the controlling space weather drivers for the structuring of mid-latitude ionospheric plasma at intermediate scales (10s of meters—10s of kilometers), their relationship with larger density structures, and their impacts on the trans-ionospheric radio links. These irregularities scintillate the signals impairing the radio link integrity and the underpinning services. The suggested science investigations are currently unable to be fully accomplished because of missing high-fidelity and long-term observations at satisfactory spatial coverage. We discuss the physics responsible for the radio wave disturbances and their impacts, review the current state of knowledge based on available observations, and outline a plan for developing the necessary infrastructure by leveraging existing ground-based distributed observatories that will enable novel scientific investigations and will be synergistic with other geoscience divisions such as seismology, geology, and meteorology.

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Section: Observing Intermediate-scale Irregularitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ground-based infrastructure for monitoring and characterizing intermediate-scale ionospheric irregularities at mid-latitudes

Mrak

Coster²,

Groves³

et al. 2023

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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“…The antennas available were 12 Cushcraft 612‐B Super Boomer Yagi‐Uda's mounted on Golden Nugget 18” towers at a height of 15 m (Huyghebaert, 2019). The antennas have a 10.3 m long by 3.0 m wide footprint.…”

Section: Icebear Receiver Array Redesignmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2019). ICEBEAR has made observations showing all traditional types of E region echoes and meteor trails (Haldoupis, 1989; Huyghebaert, 2019; D. L. Hysell, 2015; Sahr & Fejer, 1996; Schlegel, 1999). Nonetheless, despite ICEBEAR capturing excellent results that were spatially well defined in azimuth and range, it was incapable of obtaining elevation angle measurements due to its uniform linear receiver antenna array configuration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ICEBEAR‐3D: A Low Elevation Imaging Radar Using a Non‐Uniform Coplanar Receiver Array for E Region Observations

et al. 2022

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The Ionospheric Continuous‐wave E region Bistatic Experimental Auroral Radar (ICEBEAR) has been reconfigured using a phase error minimization and stochastic antenna location perturbation technique. The resulting 45‐baseline sparse non‐uniform coplanar T‐shaped array, ICEBEAR‐3D, is used for aperture synthesis radar imaging of low elevation targets. The reconfigured receiver antenna array now has a field of view ±45° azimuth and 0°–45° elevation at 0.1° angular resolution. Within this field of view no aliasing occurs. Radar targets are imaged using the Suppressed Spherical Wave Harmonic Transform (Suppressed‐SWHT) technique. This imaging method uses precalculated constant coefficient matrices to solve the integral transform from visibility to brightness through direct matrix multiplication. The method then suppresses image artefacts (dirty beam) due to undersampling by combining brightness maps of differing harmonic order. Measuring elevation angles of targets at low elevations with radar interferometers has been a long standing problem. ICEBEAR‐3D elucidates the underlying misinterpretations of the conventional geometry for vertical interferometry especially for low elevation angles. The proper phase reference vertical interferometry geometry is given which allows radar interferometers to unambiguously measure elevation angles from zenith to horizon without special calibration. The receiver antenna array reconfiguration, Suppressed‐SWHT imaging technique, and proper geometry for vertical interferometry are validated by showing agreement of the meteor trail altitude distribution with numerous data sets from other radars.

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“…The authors would like to acknowledge the funding provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Province of Saskatchewan, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. The data used to generate Figures and are available at http://ion.usask.ca, where the transmission code as a binary file and the raw complex voltage data from each antenna in HDF5 format are available (Huyghebaert & Hussey, ). Unoptimized code written in python is provided with the data to generate the ICEBEAR spectra.…”

Section: Acknowledgmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

ICEBEAR: An All‐Digital Bistatic Coded Continuous‐Wave Radar for Studies of the E Region of the Ionosphere

et al. 2019

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The Ionospheric Continuous-wave E region Bistatic Experimental Auroral Radar (ICEBEAR) is a coherent scatter ionospheric radar. It operates at a frequency of 49.5 MHz, which is ideal for observing E region coherent echoes. The radar is located in Saskatchewan, Canada, and is operated by the University of Saskatchewan. The ICEBEAR system uses a continuous-wave (CW) signal and requires isolation between the receiving and transmitting arrays. This was accomplished through a bistatic setup, where the receiver and transmitter are ≈240 km apart. Currently, the ICEBEAR system implements a pseudo random noise phase modulation on this CW signal to obtain 3-km range resolution and 5-s integration time images of E region ionospheric irregularities over a 600 km × 600 km field of view. The center of the field of view is located at ≈58 • N, 106 • W. The radar design allows for future improvements to temporal and/or spatial resolutions. Each site consists of a linear phased array with 10 equally spaced antennas. This, combined with modern digital radio hardware, provides azimuthal angle of arrival measurements at the receiving array and azimuthal transmission control at the transmitting array. This publication describes the radio hardware and signal processing used by the ICEBEAR radar and emphasizes the unique capabilities of the radar. First ICEBEAR observations from a Kp ≥ 4 event on 10 March 2018, are presented and shown to produce simultaneously the four types of previously characterized E region coherent scatter echoes.

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ICEBEAR: Recent Results from a Bistatic Coded Continuous-Wave E-region Coherent Scatter Radar

Cited by 3 publications

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Ground-based infrastructure for monitoring and characterizing intermediate-scale ionospheric irregularities at mid-latitudes

Ground-based infrastructure for monitoring and characterizing intermediate-scale ionospheric irregularities at mid-latitudes

ICEBEAR‐3D: A Low Elevation Imaging Radar Using a Non‐Uniform Coplanar Receiver Array for E Region Observations

ICEBEAR: An All‐Digital Bistatic Coded Continuous‐Wave Radar for Studies of the E Region of the Ionosphere

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