First observations of large-scale wave structure and equatorial spread F using CERTO radio beacon on the C/NOFS satellite

First observations of large-scale wave structure (LSWS) and the subsequent development of equatorial spread F (ESF), using total electron content (TEC) derived from the ground based reception of beacon signals from the CERTO (Coherent Electromagnetic Radio Tomography) radio beacon on board C/NOFS (Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System) satellite, are presented. Selected examples of TEC variations, using measurements made during January 2009 from Bac Lieu, Vietnam (9.2 degrees N, 105.6 degrees E geographic, 1.7 degrees N magnetic dip latitude) are presented to illustrate two key findings: (1) LSWS appears to play a more important role in the development of ESF than the post-sunset rise (PSSR) of the F-layer, and (2) LSWS can appear well before E region sunset. Other findings, that LSWS does not have significant zonal drift in the initial stages of growth, and can have zonal wavelengths of several hundred kilometers, corroborate earlier reports. Citation: Thampi, S. V., M. Yamamoto, R. T. Tsunoda, Y. Otsuka, T. Tsugawa, J. Uemoto, and M. Ishii (2009), First observations of large-scale wave structure and equatorial spread F using CERTO radio beacon on the C/NOFS satellite, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L18111, doi: 10.1029/2009GL039887.