Artificial ionospheric modification: the metal oxide space cloud experiment

Ronald Caton; Todd Pederson; Keith Groves; Jack Hines; Paul S. Cannon; Natasha Jackson-Booth; Richard T. Parris; Jeffrey M. Holmes; Yi-Jiun Su; Evgeny V. Mishin; Patrick A. Roddy; Albert A. Viggiano; Nicholas S. Shuman; Shaun G. Ard; Paul A. Bernhardt; Carl L. Siefring; John Retterer; Erhan Kudeki; Pablo M. Reyes

doi:10.1002/2016RS005988

Artificial ionospheric modification: the metal oxide space cloud experiment

Ronald Caton^*, Todd Pederson, Keith Groves, Jack Hines, Paul S. Cannon, Natasha Jackson-Booth, Richard T. Parris, Jeffrey M. Holmes, Yi-Jiun Su, Evgeny V. Mishin, Patrick A. Roddy, Albert A. Viggiano, Nicholas S. Shuman, Shaun G. Ard, Paul A. Bernhardt, Carl L. Siefring, John Retterer, Erhan Kudeki, Pablo M. Reyes

^*Corresponding author for this work

Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Clouds of vaporized samarium (Sm) were released during sounding rocket flights from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll in May 2013 as part of the Metal Oxide Space Cloud (MOSC) experiment. A network of ground-based sensors observed the resulting clouds from five locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of primary interest was an examination of the extent to which a tailored radio frequency (RF) propagation environment could be generated through artificial ionospheric modification. The MOSC experiment consisted of launches near dusk on two separate evenings each releasing ~6 kg of Sm vapor at altitudes near 170 km and 180 km. Localized plasma clouds were generated through a combination of photoionization and chemi-ionization (Sm + O → SmO⁺ + e^–) processes producing signatures visible in optical sensors, incoherent scatter radar, and in high-frequency (HF) diagnostics. Here we present an overview of the experiment payloads, document the flight characteristics, and describe the experimental measurements conducted throughout the 2 week launch window. Multi-instrument analysis including incoherent scatter observations, HF soundings, RF beacon measurements, and optical data provided the opportunity for a comprehensive characterization of the physical, spectral, and plasma density composition of the artificial plasma clouds as a function of space and time. A series of companion papers submitted along with this experimental overview provide more detail on the individual elements for interested readers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	539-558
Number of pages	20
Journal	Radio Science
Volume	52
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016RS005988
Publication status	Published - 3 May 2017

Keywords

Ionosphere: Active experiments
Radio Science: Ionospheric physics
Radio Science: Ionospheric Propagation
Space Plasma Physics: Active perturbation experiments
Space Weather: Ionospheric effects on radio waves

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Caton, R., Pederson, T., Groves, K., Hines, J., Cannon, P. S., Jackson-Booth, N., Parris, R. T., Holmes, J. M., Su, Y-J., Mishin, E. V., Roddy, P. A., Viggiano, A. A., Shuman, N. S., Ard, S. G., Bernhardt, P. A., Siefring, C. L., Retterer, J., Kudeki, E., & Reyes, P. M. (2017). Artificial ionospheric modification: the metal oxide space cloud experiment. Radio Science, 52(5), 539-558. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016RS005988

@article{0d6d94e383834bdb9c0fabf6ee420ca1,

title = "Artificial ionospheric modification: the metal oxide space cloud experiment",

abstract = "Clouds of vaporized samarium (Sm) were released during sounding rocket flights from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll in May 2013 as part of the Metal Oxide Space Cloud (MOSC) experiment. A network of ground-based sensors observed the resulting clouds from five locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of primary interest was an examination of the extent to which a tailored radio frequency (RF) propagation environment could be generated through artificial ionospheric modification. The MOSC experiment consisted of launches near dusk on two separate evenings each releasing ~6 kg of Sm vapor at altitudes near 170 km and 180 km. Localized plasma clouds were generated through a combination of photoionization and chemi-ionization (Sm + O → SmO+ + e–) processes producing signatures visible in optical sensors, incoherent scatter radar, and in high-frequency (HF) diagnostics. Here we present an overview of the experiment payloads, document the flight characteristics, and describe the experimental measurements conducted throughout the 2 week launch window. Multi-instrument analysis including incoherent scatter observations, HF soundings, RF beacon measurements, and optical data provided the opportunity for a comprehensive characterization of the physical, spectral, and plasma density composition of the artificial plasma clouds as a function of space and time. A series of companion papers submitted along with this experimental overview provide more detail on the individual elements for interested readers.",

keywords = "Ionosphere: Active experiments , Radio Science: Ionospheric physics , Radio Science: Ionospheric Propagation , Space Plasma Physics: Active perturbation experiments , Space Weather: Ionospheric effects on radio waves",

author = "Ronald Caton and Todd Pederson and Keith Groves and Jack Hines and Cannon, {Paul S.} and Natasha Jackson-Booth and Parris, {Richard T.} and Holmes, {Jeffrey M.} and Yi-Jiun Su and Mishin, {Evgeny V.} and Roddy, {Patrick A.} and Viggiano, {Albert A.} and Shuman, {Nicholas S.} and Ard, {Shaun G.} and Bernhardt, {Paul A.} and Siefring, {Carl L.} and John Retterer and Erhan Kudeki and Reyes, {Pablo M.}",

year = "2017",

month = may,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1002/2016RS005988",

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volume = "52",

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journal = "Radio Science",

issn = "0048-6604",

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Caton, R, Pederson, T, Groves, K, Hines, J, Cannon, PS, Jackson-Booth, N, Parris, RT, Holmes, JM, Su, Y-J, Mishin, EV, Roddy, PA, Viggiano, AA, Shuman, NS, Ard, SG, Bernhardt, PA, Siefring, CL, Retterer, J, Kudeki, E & Reyes, PM 2017, 'Artificial ionospheric modification: the metal oxide space cloud experiment', Radio Science, vol. 52, no. 5, pp. 539-558. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016RS005988

TY - JOUR

T1 - Artificial ionospheric modification

T2 - the metal oxide space cloud experiment

AU - Caton, Ronald

AU - Pederson, Todd

AU - Groves, Keith

AU - Hines, Jack

AU - Cannon, Paul S.

AU - Jackson-Booth, Natasha

AU - Parris, Richard T.

AU - Holmes, Jeffrey M.

AU - Su, Yi-Jiun

AU - Mishin, Evgeny V.

AU - Roddy, Patrick A.

AU - Viggiano, Albert A.

AU - Shuman, Nicholas S.

AU - Ard, Shaun G.

AU - Bernhardt, Paul A.

AU - Siefring, Carl L.

AU - Retterer, John

AU - Kudeki, Erhan

AU - Reyes, Pablo M.

PY - 2017/5/3

Y1 - 2017/5/3

N2 - Clouds of vaporized samarium (Sm) were released during sounding rocket flights from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll in May 2013 as part of the Metal Oxide Space Cloud (MOSC) experiment. A network of ground-based sensors observed the resulting clouds from five locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of primary interest was an examination of the extent to which a tailored radio frequency (RF) propagation environment could be generated through artificial ionospheric modification. The MOSC experiment consisted of launches near dusk on two separate evenings each releasing ~6 kg of Sm vapor at altitudes near 170 km and 180 km. Localized plasma clouds were generated through a combination of photoionization and chemi-ionization (Sm + O → SmO+ + e–) processes producing signatures visible in optical sensors, incoherent scatter radar, and in high-frequency (HF) diagnostics. Here we present an overview of the experiment payloads, document the flight characteristics, and describe the experimental measurements conducted throughout the 2 week launch window. Multi-instrument analysis including incoherent scatter observations, HF soundings, RF beacon measurements, and optical data provided the opportunity for a comprehensive characterization of the physical, spectral, and plasma density composition of the artificial plasma clouds as a function of space and time. A series of companion papers submitted along with this experimental overview provide more detail on the individual elements for interested readers.

AB - Clouds of vaporized samarium (Sm) were released during sounding rocket flights from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll in May 2013 as part of the Metal Oxide Space Cloud (MOSC) experiment. A network of ground-based sensors observed the resulting clouds from five locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of primary interest was an examination of the extent to which a tailored radio frequency (RF) propagation environment could be generated through artificial ionospheric modification. The MOSC experiment consisted of launches near dusk on two separate evenings each releasing ~6 kg of Sm vapor at altitudes near 170 km and 180 km. Localized plasma clouds were generated through a combination of photoionization and chemi-ionization (Sm + O → SmO+ + e–) processes producing signatures visible in optical sensors, incoherent scatter radar, and in high-frequency (HF) diagnostics. Here we present an overview of the experiment payloads, document the flight characteristics, and describe the experimental measurements conducted throughout the 2 week launch window. Multi-instrument analysis including incoherent scatter observations, HF soundings, RF beacon measurements, and optical data provided the opportunity for a comprehensive characterization of the physical, spectral, and plasma density composition of the artificial plasma clouds as a function of space and time. A series of companion papers submitted along with this experimental overview provide more detail on the individual elements for interested readers.

KW - Ionosphere: Active experiments

KW - Radio Science: Ionospheric physics

KW - Radio Science: Ionospheric Propagation

KW - Space Plasma Physics: Active perturbation experiments

KW - Space Weather: Ionospheric effects on radio waves

U2 - 10.1002/2016RS005988

DO - 10.1002/2016RS005988

M3 - Article

SN - 0048-6604

VL - 52

SP - 539

EP - 558

JO - Radio Science

JF - Radio Science

IS - 5

ER -

Artificial ionospheric modification: the metal oxide space cloud experiment

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Keywords

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