9409078 Showen The objective of this research is to better determine the effects of lightning or other transient events on the ionosphere. The method to be employed is to measure and analyze IS data taken at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, during lightning storms. Both the ion line and plasma line echoes will be used to find the transient responses of number density, temperature, velocity and enhanced plasma-wave strengths. The likely results of this study will be increased knowledge of lightning E-field penetration into the ionosphere, and resultant ionization and plasma wave generation. This work should permit the joining of transient measurements of satellites with those of the IS radars, so that the entire structure from the lower ionosphere to the magnetosphere can be analyzed in unison.
