Observations of E-region irregularities with ST-Radar in Piura Perú

Abstract

During a short period around the first days of february the ST radar located in the campus of the Universidad de Piura, Piura (5°S. 80,5° w), Perú, was pointed in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. The goal was to make a quick evaluations of the instrument as a tool to study the E-region at this altitudes. The radar has an antenna of 100m x 100m, with a transmitter with a peak power of 50 kW. A pulse width of 8 usec was used giving a range resolution of 1.2 km. The radar interpulse period was set at 1 msec, given a maximum Nyquist frequency corresponding to a doppler shift of 150 m/sec. The observations lasted several days, but only the last were successful. The first trials were made centered at noon time, influenced by our experience with the E-region echoes at the equator, since this is the time at which the equatorial echoes are the strongest. We obtained no echoes during this trials.