Application of adaptive optics to scintillation correction in phased array high-frequency radar

At high frequency, diffraction during ionospheric propagation can yield wavefronts whose amplitude and phase fluctuate over the physical dimensions of phased array radars such as those of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN). Distortion in the wavefront introduces amplitude and phase scintillation into the geometric beamformed signal while reducing radar performance in terms of angular resolution and achieved array gain. A scintillation correction algorithm based on adaptive optics techniques is presented. An experiment conducted using two SuperDARN radars is presented that quantifies the effect of wavefront distortion and demonstrates a reduction in observed scintillation and improvement in radar performance post scintillation correction.