Pearl Diffuse Structures on Ionograms of Intercosmos-19
Associated with Irregularities of the Low-Latitude Ionosphere

A. T. Karlachev^a, G. A. Zhbankov^b, and V. A. Telegin^a

^a Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radiowave Propagation, Troitsk, Russia

^b Institute of Physics, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

e-mail: karp@izmiran.rssi.ru

Received March 5, 2012; in final form, September 26, 2012

Abstract—Unusual complex ionograms obtained by the Intercosmos-19 satellite are considered, in which four
diffuse clouds with a characteristic shape are strung like pearls on the main path of the reflected signal. Ray
tracing has been used to show that they are associated with 26 layers of irregularities located at altitudes from
hmF2 up to ~900 km. The sizes of the irregularities range from a few kilometers to 100 kilometers, and the
intensity of Ne reaches 100%. The heights of irregular layers increase towards the equator, together with a rise
of the F2 layer, and are not associated with magnetic field lines. Complex ionograms have been observed on
the outer slope and at the top of the crest of the equatorial anomaly. They are probably caused by the processes
occurring in the equatorial ionosphere.

DOI: 10.1134/S0016793214010046

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