This analysis of a recent sporadic-E event came across the local ham club e-mail list:
http://www.swotrc.net/121607Es
I study the ionosphere “professionally” right now…so, of course, this piqued my interest. Although I’m an aeronomer, I’ll be the first to admit that the author probably has more experience with sporadic-E than I do. That said, I don’t completely believe him.
He presents several data sets, both from the MST (meso-,strato-,troposphere) region and the ionosphere. Given a lack of “activity” in the troposphere, he concluded that the sporadic-E was caused by a CME (coronal mass ejection) from the Sun. Why don’t I believe him? He invokes no physics (either through citation or explanation) to tie the CME to the formation of sporadic-E. Furthermore, also note by his own presented data that the effect of the CME wasn’t noted at SOHO and GOES until 0200 UT on the 17th, but the Millstone Hill ionosonde was seeing sporadic-E as early as 0000 UT.
The pressure to conclude something from data is immense. Perhaps the most admirable (and underrated) conclusion one can make from data is: I’ve noticed a correlation between X and Y. I believe that relationship X = F(Y) is responsible. I propose the following experiment to test that relationship…
