Chatanika, Alaska, auroral-zone incoherent-scatter facility

This paper announces the operational status of an auroral‐zone incoherent‐scatter radar. The Stanford Research Institute 1290‐MHz incoherent‐scatter radar, which was moved to Chatanika, Alaska ( L = 5.7), an auroral‐zone location near Fairbanks, is now producing interesting new results. The siting of the radar is such that D ‐, E ‐, and F ‐region incoherentscatter measurements can be made without ground‐clutter interference. Although coherent auroral‐clutter echoes can at times be seen at relatively low elevation angles in the north, auroral echoes are sufficiently weak at 1290 MHz in the sidelobes of the antenna that they are not detectable during normal incoherent‐scatter measurements. The capabilities of the radar system are outlined, and samples are presented of the type of incoherent‐scatter results being obtained.