The polar upper atmosphere and beyond. Studies based on advanced radar technology, satellite data, and signal processing.

This project concerns the use of the EISCAT radar facilitites, and other ground based research facilitites, in northern Norway and on Svalbard as well as the CLUSTER II satellites in studies of the upper and middle polar atmosphere. With emphasis is on lo cal ionospheric irregularities using novel radar techniques, and on combined radar-optical measurements of auroral small scale structures and dynamics. These efforts should be viewed as a link in a chain of actions aiming at understanding the coupling of the upper atmosphere with the interplanetary space, and the energetics of this coupling. Through new uses of the EISCAT radars (interferometry), dedicated software development that opens up the flow of information from the radar, and new noise-reduction schemes, tha capabilities of the radars are enhansed. By combining those efforts with stro ng observational (combined with optical measurements) and theoretical work through international cooperation, this research group strives for new insights in the understanding of the dynamical upper polar atmosphere.