[en] Nuclear techniques for the detection of trace element quantities of ⁹Be in environmental and biological samples have been investigated. A literature search has been made for suitable nuclear reactions using p, d, α, n and photons as incoming particles. The reactions ⁹Be(p,αγ)⁶Li, ⁹Be(d,nγ)¹⁰Be, ⁹Be(α,nγ)¹²C and ⁹Be(γ,n)⁸Be seems to be usable for ⁹Be concentrations in the order of ppm. Experimentally, the possibility ⁹Be(p,αγ)⁶Li has been tested at the resonance which occurs for Esub(p) = 2.567 MeV with a width of 39 keV and a cross-section of 110 mb. A Ge(Li) detector was used to detect the gamma-ray of energy 2.561 MeV for ⁶Li. Although the detection limit does not seem to be below 1 ppm for this reaction, it might be useful to establish an upper limit for the ⁹Be concentration in the range 1-20 ppm during conventional PIXE analyses just be monitoring the 3₅61 MeV gamma-ray in a suitable detector. (M.L.)

[en] This study is an experimental investigation of the dynamics of the aurora, describing both the systems developed for the optical measurements and the results obtained. It is found that during a auroral arc deformation, a fold travelling eastward along the arc is associated with an enhanced F-region ion temperature of 2700 K, measured by EISCAT, indicative of enhanced ionspheric electric fields. It is shown that for an auroral break-up, the large-scale westward travelling surge (WTS) is the last developed spiral in a sequence of spiral formations. It is proposed that the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is the responsible process. In another event it is shown that large-amplitude long-lasting pulsations, observed both in ground-based magnetic field and photometer recordings, correspond to strong modulations of the particle intensity at the equatorial orbit (6.6 Re). In this event a gradual transition occurs between pulses classified as Ps6/auroral torches toward pulses with characteristics of substorms. The observations are explained by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a magnetospheric boundary layer. The meridional neutral wind, at about 240 km altitude, is found to be reduced prior to or at the onset of auroral activity. These findings are suggestive of large-scale reconfigurations of the ionspheric electric fields prior to auroral onsets. A new real time triangulation technique developed to determine the altitude of auroral arcs is presented, and an alternative method to analyze incoherent scatter data is discussed. (With 46 refs.) (author)

[en] A ground based technique to monitor the three-dimensional distribution of auroral emissions is presented. The system is composed of two subsystems. A monochromatic imaging system with digitizing capability monitors the two-dimensional variation of auroral intensity with 50 degree field of view. A second height measuring system obtains in real time the height distribution of the auroral luminosity within the field of view of the imaging system. This paper is a report of the stepwise development of the complete system. The measurements will be carried out in the magnetic meridian plane through the EISCAT-site in Norway and the Kiruna Geophysical Institute. The operation of the optical system will as much as possible be combined with incoherent scatter radar measurements. (author)

[en] In ionospheric and atmospheric physics the importance of multi-station imaging has grown as a consequence of the availability of scientific grade CCD cameras with digital output and affordable massive computing power. Tomographic inversion techniques are used in many different areas, e.g. medicine, plasma research and space physics. The tomography workshop was announced to gather a limited group of people interested in auroral tomography or tomographic inversion methods in general. ALIS (Auroral Large Imaging System) is a multi-station ground-based system developed primarily for three-dimensional auroral imaging, however other non-auroral objects can be studied with ALIS, e.g. stratospheric clouds. Several of the contributions in the workshop dealt with problems related to geometries similar to the ALIS-configuration. The Proceedings contain written contributions received either in abstract form or as full papers. The Proceedings also contain contributions intended for the Workshop but not presented due to the absence of the speaker. Separate abstracts have been prepared for 15 of the 17 papers

[en] The altitude and the altitude distribution of auroral emissions are one of the results of processes in the ionosphere and in the magnetosphere during auroral activity. A bistatic system has been developed to determine the altitude and the altitude distribution of different auroral emissions in the magnetic meridian plane through EISCAT's transmitting station in Norway. The system makes use of intensified one-dimensional photodiode arrays. In April 1985 the first measurements were made. Initital results, system characteristics and system configuration are reported

[en] Short communication

[en] Short communication

[en] We investigate the hypothesis that large-scale plasma-density enhancements found in the auroral F layer become structured via a magnetic-flux-tube interchange (MFTI) process. In such a process, plasma structure is produced when spatially irregular electric fields transport higher number-density plasma into a region containing lower number-density plasma, and vice versa. Direct experimental evidence of this process can be obtained by measuring concurrently the spatial distributions of F-region plasma density and electric field. Using the tristatic EISCAT radar facility, we measured these quantities in a two-dimensional plane transverse to the geomagnetic field, at 300-km altitude. We show, in a case study, that plasma-density structure found along the poleward wall of a blob was indeed accompanied by similar-scale variations in the ionospheric electric field, and that the sense of relative motion between high- and low-number-density plasma is consistent with ongoing structuring of the plasma via a MFTI process. From the estimated growth rate of 3 x 10 ^-3 s ^-1, the observed plasma structure could have been produced in several minutes by the irregular electic field pattern. The source of the MFTI process, however, is not clear. The MFTI process did not appear to be driven by F-region polarization electric fields, a conclusion based on (1) the apparent lack of inverse correlation between plasma density and 'slip' velocity patterns, and (2) the positive growth rate found along the poleward wall of the blob in the presence of a westward Pedersen current. This conclusion excludes (at least for this data set) the gradient-drift and current-convective instabilities as primary sources of the ongoing structuring process. (Author)