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Choy, L. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Choy, L. W..

5 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

Electromagnetic bias of 10-GHz radar altimeter measurements of MSL

Electromagnetic bias, the small difference that exists between the radar measured mean sea level and the geometric mean sea level is an important issue in high precision satellite altimetry. Present day satellite altimetry has achieved, with SEASAT-1, a precision of 5 cm rms in the range measurement. Future altimeter designs are expected to improve the range measurement precision to cm rms. In order to exploit the capability of these precise radar altimeters are marine geodesy and oceanography, it is necessary to understand and account for all of the known biases in the range measurement. The electromagnetic bias or the EM bias, which has been attributed to the observed fact that ocean wave troughs tend to be better reflectors of nadir viewing microwave radar energy than ocean wave crests, can be observed with high resolution airborne radar. This report presents the results of the EM bias measurements made by NRL using an airborne radar altimeter operating at 10 GHz with a 1 ns range resolution. Data were taken for various sea states and wind conditions. The experimental results are compared with current theories.

Choy, L. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Field-aligned currents and the auroral electrojet

A Nike Tomahawk with fields and particles payload was launched on Nov. 18, 1970, over a strong westward electrojet current and auroral forms moving rapidly to the east. Electron fluxes moving up and down the magnetic field lines were measured. Upward-moving electrons below 1-keV energy were dominant and were equivalent to a net downward electric current that fluctuated between .2 and .6 microamp/sq m during the flight above 130 km. As the rocket traversed this broad region of downward electric current over and to the north of the auroral forms, the horizontal electric field slowly rotated from east to west. The magnetic measurements indicate that the westward electrojet was a horizontal sheet of current several hundred kilometers in north-south extent.

Cahill, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Auroral electrons of energy less than 1 keV observed at rocket altitudes.

Measurements of electrons of energy less than 1 keV in the auroral precipitation with detectors aboard three rocket flights are discussed. Detectors simultaneously measured the flux of electrons moving up and down the magnetic field lines. Electrons of energy less than a few hundred electron volts show directional intensities ranging from isotropic over the upper hemisphere, to field aligned into the atmosphere, to a net streaming out of the atmosphere. Cases of reflection coefficients greater than 1 for the few hundred electron volts and lower-energy electrons occur when measurements were made north of auroral forms. These electrons might represent the high-energy tail of the return Birkeland currents. The origin of the low-energy electrons is itself in question.

Arnoldy, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Field-aligned particle currents near an auroral arc.

A Nike-Tomahawk rocket equipped to measure electric and magnetic fields and charged particles from a few eV to several hundred keV energy was flown into an auroral band on April 11, 1970. The purpose of this flight was to obtain evidence of the low-energy electrons and protons that constitute a field-aligned sheet current, and also to obtain the magnetic signature of such a current and the electric field in and near the auroral-arc electric current system. Particular attention was given to a sudden increase in the field-aligned current associated with a prior sudden increase in the electric field and a sudden change in the magnetic field, all occurring near the edge of a visual auroral arc. Data obtained are discussed and analyzed; they present an important contribution to the problem of mapping of atmospheric auroral phenomena to the magnetospheric equatorial plane.

Choy, L. W.↗