Millstone Hill Thomson Scatter Results for 1970

Abstract

During 1970, the incoherent scatter radar at Millstone Hill (42.6°N, 71.5°W) was employed to measure the electron density, electron and ion temperatures, and vertical velocity of the ions in the F-region over periods of 24 hours on an average of twice 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. Commencing with the data presented in this report, a method of data reduction has been used which supersedes the older one of constructing the contour diagrams by hand. In the new method the set of points for any given parameter is matched by a two-dimensional polynomial surface in a least-squares fit. The program that carries this out is described fully in the report. By obtaining a continuous analytical description of the data with respect to height and time, machine-drawn contouring becomes possible and is now employed. The new program also provides a means of transferring the results to other users in machine-readable form. In addition, the new program yields a more repeatable smoothing of the data with respect to height and time, thereby allowing parameters that depend upon gradients (e.g., heat and particle fluxes) to be estimated more accurately.