Results of Experimental Studies Conducted within the Framework of the SURA-CSES Program in 2018–2023

The paper analyzes the results of experiments conducted in 2018–2023 to study the characteristics of plasma disturbances generated at altitudes of the Earth’s outer ionosphere during modification of its F2 layer by powerful high-frequency (HF) radio waves emitted by the SURA mid-latitude heating facility. Measurements were carried out during the day, evening, and night hours at low and high levels of solar activity. Plasma disturbances were recorded by the onboard equipment of the Chinese low-orbit satellite CSES (ZH-1) both above the SURA facility and in the ionosphere magnetically conjugated to it. The characteristics of a powerful radio wave penetrating the outer ionosphere, the influence of ionospheric disturbances of natural and artificial origin on the propagation of a powerful radio wave through the ionosphere, the conditions for generating very-low-frequency (VLF) radio waves due to nonlinear demodulation of a powerful radio wave, etc., were studied. The work examines the influence of the main ionospheric trough on the development of the interaction of powerful HF radio emission with ionospheric plasma and on the generation of artificial ionospheric turbulence in the trough.