Automated diagnostics for resonance signature recognition on IMAGE/RPI plasmagrams
 
Ivan A. Galkin, Bodo W. Reinisch, and Xueqin Huang
Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Massachusetts,
Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

Robert F. Benson
Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

Shing S. Fung
Space Physics Data Facility, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Maryland, USA


The Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) aboard the IMAGE spacecraft probes plasma at both 
far and near ranges by means of radio sounding. The RPI plasmagrams, similar in 
their concept to the ground-based and topside ionograms, contain not only a 
variety of signatures pertaining to the remote plasma structures and boundaries, 
but also a suite of the local plasma resonances stimulated by the RPI radio 
transmissions. Detection and interpretation of the resonance signatures is a 
valuable diagnostic tool providing the actual electron density and magnetic 
field strength at the spacecraft location, which are needed for the accurate 
processing of the remote sensing information on the plasmagrams. The high volume 
of the RPI sounding data demanded the development of automated techniques for 
routine interpretation of the plasmagrams. This paper discusses a new method for 
the detection and interpretation of the resonance signatures in the RPI 
plasmagrams that employs pattern recognition techniques to localize the 
signatures and identifies them in relation to model-based resonances.

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Radio Science, Vol. 39, No. 1, RS1015, 10.1029/2003RS002921, 24 February 2004