Impacts of Auroral Precipitation on HF Propagation: A Hypothetical
Over-the-Horizon Radar Case Study
Abstract
Over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) systems operating in the high-frequency
(HF) band (3-30MHz) are unique in their ability to detect targets at
extreme ranges, offering cost-effective large area surveillance. Due to
their reliance on the reflective nature of the ionosphere in this band,
OTHR systems are extremely sensitive to ionospheric conditions and can
expect significant variations in operational performance. At high
latitudes, the presence of auroral enhancements in the E-Region electron
density can substantially modify the coverage area and frequency
management of OTHR systems. In this study, HF raytracing is utilized to
investigate these impacts for a hypothetical radar under different
auroral conditions simulated using the Empirical Canadian High Arctic
Ionospheric Model (E-CHAIM). Aurora were seen to increase maximum
useable frequency (MUF) from 8.5 MHz to 26 MHz whilst also reducing
median available target range from 2541 km to 1226 km, for the greatest
differences. Target interception showed large variations in path
coverage of between 33-115% and 0-107% for two flight paths tested
with precipitation toggled. Two distinct propagation modes were observed
with aurora, noted as the F-E ducted and Auroral E-modes. Long-range
coverage provided by the auroral F-E ducted mode was of limited capacity
with low solar activity due to the reduced NmF2. F-mode propagation
transitioned to the dominating Auroral E-mode between Auroral Electrojet
(AE) index values of 50- and 200-nT. The significant variations in both
frequency and coverage observed within this study highlight some aspects
of the importance of considering aurora in OTHR modelling and design.