The electron content of the ionosphere in winter

1961 ◽  
Vol 263 (1313) ◽  
pp. 189-211 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Total Electron Content ◽  
Faraday Rotation ◽  
Scale Height ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
Radio Waves ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
Neutral Particles ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Wide Scatter ◽  
Magnetic Index

Observations at two closely spaced frequencies of the Faraday rotation of moon-reflected radio waves are described. These measurements have provided accurate values for the total electron content of the ionosphere for many hours on successive days. The observations reported here span a period of one month during the winter of 1960. Short-period fluctuations of the total electron content were observed. These were of about 2 to 3% in amplitude and occurred chiefly during the day-time. The gross shape of the F 2 region as determined by the ratio of the number of electrons above the F 2 peak to the number below was roughly constant during the day, but showed a wide scatter of values at night. The scale height of the ionizable constituent at the F 2 peak was found to be about the same as that of the neutral particles during the day, indicating almost complete mixing. At night, the scale height of the ionizable constituent appeared to increase with the planetary magnetic index K p . It is not possible to say if this was the result of heating of the region or the consequence of electrodynamic drifts.

scholarly journals Ionosonde total electron content evaluation using International Global Navigation Satellite System Service data

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Telmo dos Santos Klipp ◽  
Adriano Petry ◽  
Jonas Rodrigues de Souza ◽  
Eurico Rodrigues de Paula ◽  
Gabriel Sandim Falcão ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Density ◽  
Total Electron Content ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite System ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Scale Height ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
Navigation Satellite ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
System Service ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

Abstract. In this work, a period of 2 years (2016–2017) of ionospheric total electron content (ITEC) from ionosondes operating in Brazil is compared to the International GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Service (IGS) vertical total electron content (vTEC) data. Sounding instruments from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) provided the ionograms used, which were filtered based on confidence score (CS) and C-Level flag evaluation. Differences between vTEC from IGS maps and ionosonde TEC were accumulated in terms of root mean squared error (RMSE). As expected, we noticed that the ITEC values provided by ionosondes are systematically underestimated, which is attributed to a limitation in the electron density modeling for the ionogram topside that considers a fixed scale height, which makes density values decay too rapidly above ∼800 km, while IGS takes in account electron density from GNSS stations up to the satellite network orbits. The topside density profiles covering the plasmasphere were re-modeled using two different approaches: an optimization of the adapted α-Chapman exponential decay that includes a transition function between the F2 layer and plasmasphere and a corrected version of the NeQuick topside formulation. The electron density integration height was extended to 20 000 km to compute TEC. Chapman parameters for the F2 layer were extracted from each ionogram, and the plasmaspheric scale height was set to 10 000 km. A criterion to optimize the proportionality coefficient used to calculate the plasmaspheric basis density was introduced in this work. The NeQuick variable scale height was calculated using empirical parameters determined with data from Swarm satellites. The mean RMSE for the whole period using adapted α-Chapman optimization reached a minimum of 5.32 TECU, that is, 23 % lower than initial ITEC errors, while for the NeQuick topside formulation the error was reduced by 27 %.

scholarly journals Transient Variations of Total Electron Content (TEC) Over a Terrestrial Point within Magnetic Anomaly Region

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Rufus Sola Fayose
Keyword(s):  
Total Electron Content ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Equatorial Region ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Equatorial Anomaly ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
High Positive Correlation ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Anomaly Region

This paper investigate the variability of Total Electron Content TEC over a terrestrial point within equatorial anomaly region using the NovAtel GSV 4000B GPS-SCINDA system at Akure (7.3°N, 5.2°E), Nigeria. This system is capable of tracking up to 14 GPS satellites simultaneously. Total Electron Content (TEC) over equatorial region using a real time data collected via a GPS-SCINDA facility were analyzed to study the ionospheric variations in terms of Total Electron Content (TEC) for the period of three years. Diurnal variations and Monthly mean variations of Total Electron Content within the equatorial anomaly region were examined. The diurnal variation of TEC showed pre-dawn minimum for a short period of time, followed by a steep early morning increase and then reached maximum value between 14:00 UT and 16:00 UT. The influence of solar activity on VTEC was investigated by taking the correlation coefficients between VTEC, F10.7cm radio flux index and sunspot numbers. The range of solar flux variation during the period of observation is very limited; there is high positive correlation (Correlation Coefficient 0.61) between daytime peak TEC and the solar F10.7 flux.

scholarly journals Features of short-period variability of total electron content at high and middle latitudes

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
Anna Yasyukevich
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Total Electron Content ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
Period Variability ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Tec Variability

The study presents the results of comparative analysis of features of a short-period (with periods of internal gravity waves) variability of total electron content (TEC) in the ionosphere at middle (Novosibirsk) and high (Norilsk) latitudes over a long period of time (2003–2020). The period analyzed makes it possible to estimate not only diurnal and seasonal variations in the variability, but also its changes within the solar activity cycle. The level of TEC variability is shown to experience pronounced seasonal variations with maxima in winter months. The difference between the level of variability in winter and summer is about two times for Novosibirsk and up to seven times for Norilsk. The variability features a distinct diurnal variation; however, the diurnal dependence at the mid- and high-latitude stations differs significantly. At high latitudes, the level of variability in the winter period strictly depends on solar activity. For the mid-latitude station, there is no clear dependence of variability level on solar activity; in the years of solar maximum, on the contrary, a slight decrease in the variability is observed. In summer, the level of variability at both middle and high latitudes remains practically unchanged and does not depend on solar activity. The main features in the dynamics of variability are shown to be similar at stations located at other longitudes, except for the East American sector. The result obtained suggests that the short-period TEC variability at high latitudes is primarily related to changes in solar activity, but regular variations in the variability at midlatitudes are probably not associated with heliophysical activity. The observed increase in the level of short-period variability in the winter mid-latitude ionosphere is assumed to be related to an increase in wave activity in the stratosphere.

scholarly journals Features of short-period variability of total electron content at high and middle latitudes

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Anna Yasyukevich
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Total Electron Content ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
Period Variability ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Tec Variability

The study presents the results of comparative analysis of features of a short-period (with periods of internal gravity waves) variability of total electron content (TEC) in the ionosphere at middle (Novosibirsk) and high (Norilsk) latitudes over a long period of time (2003–2020). The period analyzed makes it possible to estimate not only diurnal and seasonal variations in the variability, but also its changes within the solar activity cycle. The level of TEC variability is shown to experience pronounced seasonal variations with maxima in winter months. The difference between the level of variability in winter and summer is about two times for Novosibirsk and up to seven times for Norilsk. The variability features a distinct diurnal variation; however, the diurnal dependence at the mid- and high-latitude stations differs significantly. At high latitudes, the level of variability in the winter period strictly depends on solar activity. For the mid-latitude station, there is no clear dependence of variability level on solar activity; in the years of solar maximum, on the contrary, a slight decrease in the variability is observed. In summer, the level of variability at both middle and high latitudes remains practically unchanged and does not depend on solar activity. The main features in the dynamics of variability are shown to be similar at stations located at other longitudes, except for the East American sector. The result obtained suggests that the short-period TEC variability at high latitudes is primarily related to changes in solar activity, but regular variations in the variability at midlatitudes are probably not associated with heliophysical activity. The observed increase in the level of short-period variability in the winter mid-latitude ionosphere is assumed to be related to an increase in wave activity in the stratosphere.

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