METHOD DETERMINING PARAMETERS OF IONOSPHERE OF THE EARTH AND EQUIPMENT FOR ITS REALIZATION

geophysics, space physics. SUBSTANCE: method can be employed to measure electric fields in ionosphere of the Earth with the aid of scientific instrumentation installed in spacecraft. Pulse electron beam of specified energy is injected and scanned in plane U passing through vector Bþ and geometrical axis of injector ng. Injection direction ne along which maximum intensity of electrons is achieved is found. Then injected ion beam is scanned in plane U near direction ne and direction ni of injection of ion beam along which maximum intensity of ions is achieved is determined. Angle DELTA included between vectors ne and ni, is determined as function of running time and on this basis there are computed values of constant component Ezo, amplitude EzA and frequency fz of variable component of electric field in direction of vector B3. Value of constant component EQ, amplitude EQA and frequency fQ of variable component of electric field lying in plane Q⊥Bþ. are determined by present time dependence of value of maximum of intensity of ion beam coming into detector, by maximum and minimum values of drift of ions in plane Q⊥Bþ. Instrumentation for realization of method determining parameters of ionosphere of the Earth located aboard spacecraft includes injector and detector of ions, former of instructions to switch ion systems on and off, system determining vector of inductance of local magnetic field B3, of the Earth, system determining vector of orbital speed ¯rb, unit determining component of orbital speed projected on plane Q⊥B3, electron injector and detector, ion and electron scanning systems, former of instructions to switch electron systems on and off, analyzers of maximum of intensity of detected beams of ions and electrons, systems controlling injected ion and electron beams, unit for information processing, analysis and generation of results, storage of vector ng of geometric axis of electron injector, unit determining component of orbital speed on plane Q⊥B3, unit determining angle beta included between vectors ng and B3, unit determining angle alpha included between vectors and ngQ component of vector ng on plane Q, unit storing required angles beta0 ± DELTAbeta0, alpha0 ± DELTAalpha0 and comparing them with angles beta and alpha. correspondingly. Technical result of invention consists in determination of constant component of intensity of electric field in direction of vector B3 and in plane Q⊥B3. EFFECT: determination of constant component of intensity o