Incoherent scatter Faraday rotation measurements on a radar with single linear polarization

This paper outlines an application of the incoherent scatter technique to the Irkutsk (Russia) VHF radar system, which has an antenna with a single, strictly linear polarization. Owing to ionospheric Faraday rotation, determination of wave plane polarization angle is essential to obtain electron density. We describe a new technique for electron density determination on a radar with single polarization based on the radar equation. This technique does not require additional external density calibration using other instruments such as ionosondes.