Date of Award
8-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Physics and Astronomy
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Stephen Kaeppler
Committee Member
Dr. Gerald Lehmacher
Committee Member
Dr. Chad Sosolik
Abstract
The ionosphere can be approximated as a magnetized plasma. This results in wave- particle interactions driving a large quantity of ionospheric phenomena. To understand these phenomena, it is important to quantify and measure certain key plasma parameters. One such parameter is electron density. The Faraday Experiment was developed for the purpose of measuring electron density in the D-region of the ionosphere. This experiment was made popular by Martin Friedrich in the 1970s and is currently one of the only ways to provide high resolution measurements of electron density in the D-region without actively disturbing the surrounding plasma. This thesis aims to highlight this experiment and propose an update to one of its main components. This update would bring the Faraday Experiment up to date with today’s technology and extend its usability. In this thesis, the history, methodology, and the development of the updated experiment will be discussed.
Recommended Citation
Guerra, Alvaro J., "Developing a Software Defined Radio Based Faraday Receiver" (2022). All Theses. 3895.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/3895