induced by such a strong source of artificial atmospheric emissions may require further technological assessment by the sensor community. The earth’s response to solar disturbances, in the form of auroral magnetic storms, depends on the density and composition of the magnetospheric constituents (plasmas and neutrals); modification of the magnetospheric density and composition is likely to change the magnetospheric response to solar activity. Because of the rapid rate of charge exchange interaction between energetic particles of solar wind origin and the neutral exhaust cloud from the POTV, we expect that the earth's response to solar activity (in the form of magnetic storms) may become shorter in duration and weaker in intensity under SPS-modified circumstances. Further, some plasma disturbances caused by the transformation of injected free energy involve density irregularities and currents in the magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma. If these density irregularities are of sufficiently large extent, they may cause signal scintillation effects in space communication systems. The ionospheric currents induced in the ionosphere are of comparable magnitude to the auroral currents but are located in mid-latitudes; thus they may adversely impact powerline and pipeline operations if they are sufficiently strong. However, our preliminary calculations are that these currents would be short-circuited well above the bottomside ionosphere. For the benefit of the reader, Table IV lists the salient features of the principal SPS magnetospheric effects discussed above. The listing is not ordered according to importance of impact, because we deem it premature to make such judgments at the current stage of assessment. However, some general judgmental impressions can be made at the present stage if such are called for. It appears to us that the principal magntospheric effects are sufficiently serious to require mitigation measures on the part of space systems 76
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