EISCAT Svalbard Incoherent scatter radar

An incoherent scatter radar transmits a VHF or UHF radiowave of high power and a tiny fraction of the power is scattered back. The spectrum of the scattered signal depends on plasma waves propagating in the ionosphere and from the shape of the spectrum the temperature of electrons and ions can be determined. The scattered power or electron plasma frequency shift can give the electron density and the Doppler shift gives the ion drift velocity. Being high power large aperture radars, the instruments are also useful for other purposes, including meteor research and space debris mapping. The EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR) started operation in 1996 and operates at 500 MHz and has two antennas, one steerable 32 m dish and a fixed field-aligned 42 m dish, with independent receiver chains. The transmitter can switch antennas from pulse to pulse, so dual antenna experiments are possible.