The EISCAT Scientific Association

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The EISCAT Scientific Association is an international research organisation operating three incoherent scatter radar systems, at 931 MHz, 224 MHz and 500 MHz, in Northern Scandinavia. It is funded and operated by the research councils of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, France, the United Kingdom and Germany (collectively, the EISCAT Associates).

EISCAT (European Incoherent Scattter) studies the interaction between the Sun and the Earth as revealed by disturbances in the magnetosphere and the ionised parts of the atmosphere (these interactions also give rise to the spectacular aurora, or Northern Lights). The radars are operated in both Common and Special Programme modes, depending on the particular research objective, and Special Programme time is accounted and distributed between the Associates according to rules which are published from time to time.

One EISCAT transmitter site is located close to the city of Tromsø, in Norway, and additional receiver stations are located in Sodankylä, Finland, and Kiruna, Sweden. See an animation that shows the basic operation. The EISCAT Headquarters are also located in Kiruna. 1996 the EISCAT Scientific Association constructed a second incoherent scatter radar facility, the EISCAT Svalbard Radar, near Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen, far to the North of the Norwegian mainland.

The Incoherent Scatter Radar technique requires sophisticated technology and EISCAT engineers are constantly involved in upgrading the systems.

In addition to the incoherent scatter radars, EISCAT also operates an Ionospheric Heater facility at Ramfjordmoen (including a Dynasonde) to support various active plasma physics experiments in the high latitude ionosphere.

Observing Time

Observing time on any of the EISCAT radars can be obtained through the National Representatives of each of the seven EISCAT Associates. Scientists from non-member countries can also obtain observing time, free of charge, through a separate third-party peer-review process

News

Information about the new EROS interface for the plasma line DSP at ESR.

The 10th EISCAT International Incoherent Scatter Workshop
was held at SRI, California, on 24-29 August 2003. Papers and posters presented should be submitted to a special issue of Annales Geophysicae, for a planned publication date of October 2004.

The 1998-2001 Annual report (2Mib) (high res (11Mib).) and the submitted science (13Mib - gzipped). is available.