Incoherent scatter

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Incoherent scatter refers to a ground-based technique for studying the earth's ionosphere. A radar beam scattering off electrons in the ionospheric plasma creates an incoherent scatter echo. The ionospheric electrons are controlled by the much slower and massive positive ions - electron density fluctuations relate to ion temperature, mass distribution, and motion. The incoherent scatter signal allows measurement of electron density, ion temperature and electron temperatures, ion composition and plasma velocity.