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The Southern Hemisphere Auroral Radar Experiment (SHARE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2004

J. R. Dudeney
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
K. B. Baker
Affiliation:
Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20707, USA
P. H. Stoker
Affiliation:
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Department of Physics, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, Republic of South Africa
A. D. M. Walker
Affiliation:
University of Natal, Deprtment of Physics, King George V Avenue, Durban 4001, Republic of South Africa

Extract

The near Earth space environment (known as Geospace) is dominated by the interaction between the solar wind and the geomagnetic field, which creates the magnetosphere. Considerable energy flows from the solar wind into the magnetosphere and ends up in the Earth's upper atmosphere (the thermosphere and ionosphere). The coupling of the geomagnetic field with that of the solar wind (known as the interplanetary magnetic field, or IMF) produces a variety of electro-dynamic responses with signatures such as electric fields and currents in the polar ionospheres. These produce, inter alia, motion of the ionospheric plasma (at altitudes between 100 and 1000kms) which can be monitored from the ground using radar techniques. Analysis of such plasma motion provides a very powerful means of investigating the nature of the interactions taking place at the boundaries between the magnetosphere and the solar wind. To do this effectively requires simultaneous measurements over as large an area (in latitude and longitude) as possible.

Type
Short note
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1994

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