Preliminary AMISR-14 radar observations of F-region incoherent backscatter echoes at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory

A 14-panel Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR-14) was installed at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory (IGP- JRO) in 2014. Because of its size, this radar was mainly used to observe coherent structures such as Equatorial Electrojet and Equatorial Spread F. However, the operation of radar was intermittent until 2020, when different repairs and upgrades were conducted to put the radar fully operational. Now, AMISR-14 runs regularly in parallel with the main Jicamarca radar in the JULIA (Jicamarca Unattended Long-term studies of the Ionosphere and Atmosphere) mode to mainly monitor the Equatorial Spread F activity.
Running these experiments with a more stable peak power, we have been able to detect not only coherently scatter (CS) signals but also incoherently scatter (IS) echoes from the F-region ionosphere. In this poster, we will present some examples of the routine observations we are conducting with this radar. More specifically, we will present incoherent scatter spectral measurements obtained with AMISR-14 pointing in different directions along the E-W plane. These spectral observations open the possibility of measuring F-region plasma parameters with this system, complementing the observations that are conducted with the main Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar.