The investigators will study plasma patches and blobs in the night-side ionosphere using multiple instruments and modeling. These large-scale enhancements in ionospheric electron density have deleterious effects on navigation, communication, and surveillance systems at high latitudes. The primary observational technique to be applied in the study is ionospheric tomography using a network of five beacon satellite receivers along the west coast of Greenland. This is a collaborative effort involving the University of Texas (UT) at Austin and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). SwRI investigators will provide model simulations of the polar cap ionosphere during patch event time intervals. UT Austin investigators will analyze the data from the beacon satellite receivers. The study will emphasize complete and detailed analyses of selected patch events to identify the origin and evolution of these structures in the high latitude ionosphere. The primary motivation for studying patches and blobs is to be able to specify and predict the large amplitude and phase scintillation effects on operational systems.
