Millstone Hill Thomson Scatter Results for 1972

Abstract

During 1972, the vertically directed incoherent scatter radar at Millstone Hill (42.6°N, 71.5°W) was employed to measure electron density, electron and ion temperatures, and vertical ion velocity in the F-region over periods of 24 hours, one or two times per month. The observations spanned the height interval 200 to 900 km, approximately, and achieved a time resolution of about 30 minutes. This report presents the results of these measurements in a set of contour diagrams. For a number of the days, the spectra of the signals gathered at altitudes between 450 and 1125 km have been the subject of further analysis in an effort to determine the percentage of H[superscript +] ions present over Millstone. The results suggest that H[superscript +] ions are escaping from the F-region to the magnetosphere at a value close to the theoretical limiting flux during the daytime in all seasons. At night the flux becomes downward commencing near midnight in winter, but may remain upward throughout the night in summer.