The OEDIPUS Experiment: Analysis of the current/voltage data

Godard, R.; James, H. G.; Laframboise, J. G.; Macintosh, Bruce; McNamara, A. G.; Watanabe, S.; Whalen, B. A.

doi:10.1029/91ja01089

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

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“…After passing that depression the payload experienced quickly rising densities and passed through an E region peak density at --•710 s, corresponding to foe > 5 MHz at a peak altitude of 135 km. Godard et al [1991] analyzed the dc current voltage response of the whole payload and found that an ambient temperature of near 2000øK was maintained throughout the period discussed here. Further information about the experiment is provided by those -authors and by James and Whalen [ 1991].…”

Section: Flight and Payload Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Ionospheric wave emissions passively detected by the OEDIPUS A Tether

James¹

1993

J. Geophys. Res.

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The tethered sounding rocket payload OEDIPUS A was launched over aurora in the evening of January 30, 1989. A conducting tether between the instrumented subpayloads was extended to 958 m during the flight which attained an apogee altitude of 512 km. Electron fluxes of up to ∼2 × 108 cm−2 s−1 sr−1 were recorded by an onboard energetic particle detector throughout much of the flight. Electron density measurements were made by the bistatic transmitter‐receiver set high‐frequency exciter (HEX) and receiver for exciter (REX) using a special technique based on the characteristics of the Z mode of propagation. This electron density information was used to identify the frequency limits of propagation of various emissions in the 0‐5 MHz bandwidth of the receiver REX which was configured for passive detection of rf current induced in the tether. On two occasions in the flight, sharply delimited depletions of ambient density correlated closely with enhancements of radio noise, notably in the whistler mode at frequencies below 800 kHz. These depletions were located on the flanks of “inverted‐V” structures in the precipitating electron fluxes. The whistler mode emissions were very weak compared with what can be observed at greater heights in the auroral topside ionosphere. However, their detection apparently was enhanced by a resonance condition between the tether length and the wavelength of sheath waves. By ray tracing analysis, depletions were found incapable of trapping the whistler mode Waves, which exhibited levels 8‐10 dB higher than those outside the depletion, or of rendering them more detectable by the tether than unguided waves. The tether resonance may compensate for the tether's relative inefficiency as a receiving antenna because of its orientation along the magnetic field direction. It is inferred that the waves are generated close to the payload by suprathermal electrons.

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Section: Flight and Payload Performancementioning

confidence: 99%