Director Vitaliy I. Taran, Prof., Dr. Phys.& Math.

Set up on April 18, 1991.

Its principal research area covers physical properties of the Earth ionosphere under natural and artificially disturbed contitions.

Studies of near-Earth space and space-weather phenomena are carried out by Ionospheric Sounder – a highly informative ground-based radar facility. It incorporates Institute-designed unique incoherent-scattering radars equipped with the world-largest two-mirror zenith parabolic antenna of 100-meter diameter and fully steerable parabolic antenna of 25-meter diameter. Institute’s research instruments also involve a high-frequency heating facility of 300-MW effective power, equipped with a wide-band array antenna of 300 m x 300 m, intended for studying the effect of powerful radio-frequency radiation on ionospheric plasma, and an automatic vertical-sounding ionosperic station. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by its decree of December 19, 2001 classified the Institute’s Ionospheric Sounder as as National Asset of Ukraine.

Relying on incoherent-scattering method, researchers obtained data on ionospheric plasma that cover over three solar activity cycles. The effects of natural geospace disturbances due to solar flares and solar eclipses, as well as effects of man-made ionospheric disturbances due to spacecraft launches, powerful ground explosions and powerful HF radio wave radiation were studied.