Response of low latitude D-region ionosphere to the total solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 deduced from ELF/VLF analysis

Response of the D-region of the ionosphere to the total solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 at low latitude, Varanasi (Geog. lat., 25.27° N; Geog. long., 82.98° E; Geomag. lat. = 14° 55’ N) was investigated using ELF/VLF radio signal. Tweeks, a naturally occurring VLF signal and radio signals from various VLF navigational transmitters are first time used simultaneously to study the effect of total solar eclipse (TSE). Tweeks occurrence is a nighttime phenomena but the obscuration of solar disc during TSE in early morning leads to tweek occurrence. The changes in D-region ionospheric VLF reflection heights (h) and electron density (n_e: 22.6–24.6 cm⁻³) during eclipse have been estimated from tweek analysis. The reflection height increased from ∼89 km from the first occurrence of tweek to about ∼93 km at the totality and then decreased to ∼88 km at the end of the eclipse, suggesting significant increase in tweek reflection height of about 5.5 km during the eclipse. The reflection heights at the time of totality during TSE are found to be less by 2–3 km as compared to the usual nighttime tweek reflection heights. This is due to partial nighttime condition created by TSE. A significant increase of 3 dB in the strength of the amplitude of VLF signal of 22.2 kHz transmitted from JJI-Japan is observed around the time of the total solar eclipse (TSE) as compared to a normal day. The modeled electron density height profile of the lower ionosphere depicts linear variation in the electron density with respect to solar radiation as observed by tweek analysis also. These low latitude ionospheric perturbations on the eclipse day are discussed and compared with other normal days.     

Response of the mid-latitude D-region ionosphere to the total solar eclipse of 22 July 2009 studied using VLF signals in South Korean peninsula

In this paper, we analyze VLF signals received at Busan to study the the D-region changes linked with the solar eclipse event of 22 July 2009 for very short (∼390 km) transmitter–receiver great circle path (TRGCP) during local noon time 00:36–03:13 UT (09:36–12:13 KST). The eclipse crossed south of Busan with a maximum obscuration of ∼84%. Observations clearly show a reduction of ∼6.2 dB in the VLF signal strength at the time of maximum solar obscuration (84% at 01:53 UT) as compared to those observed on the control days. Estimated values of change in Wait ionospheric parameters: reflection height (h′) in km and inverse scale height parameter (β) in km⁻¹ from Long Wave Propagation Capability (LWPC) model during the maximum eclipse phase as compared to unperturbed ionosphere are 7 km and 0.055 km⁻¹, respectively. Moreover, the D-region electron density estimated from model computation shows 95% depletion in electron density at the height of ∼71 km. The reflection height is found to increase by ∼7 km in the D-region during the eclipse as compared to those on the control days, implying a depletion in the Lyman-α flux by a factor of ∼7. The present observations are discussed in the light of current understanding on the solar eclipse induced D-region dynamics.     

Sensing the Earth’s low ionosphere during solar flares using VLF signals and goes solar X-ray data

An analysis of D-region electron density height profile variations, induced by four isolated solar X-ray flares during period from September 2005 to December 2006, based on the amplitude and the phase delay perturbation of 22.1 kHz signal trace from Skelton (54.72 N, 2.88 W) to Belgrade (44.85 N, 20.38 E), coded GQD, was carried out. Solar flare data were taken from NOAA GOES12 satellite one-minute listings. For VLF data acquisition and recordings at the Institute of Physics, Belgrade, Serbia, the AbsPAL system was used. Starting from LWPCv21 code (Ferguson, 1998), the variations of the Earth-ionosphere waveguide characteristic parameters, sharpness and reflection height, were estimated during the flare conditions. It was found that solar flare events affected the VLF wave propagation in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide by changing the lower ionosphere electron density height profile, in a different way, for different solar flare events.     

Modeling of sub-ionospheric VLF signal perturbations associated with total solar eclipse, 2009 in Indian subcontinent

During the total solar eclipse of 2009, a week-long campaign was conducted in the Indian sub-continent to study the low-latitude D-region ionosphere using the very low frequency (VLF) signal from the Indian Navy transmitter (call sign: VTX3) operating at 18.2 kHz. It was observed that in several places, the signal amplitude is enhanced while in other places the amplitude is reduced. We simulated the observational results using the well known Long Wavelength Propagation Capability (LWPC) code. As a first order approximation, the ionospheric parameters were assumed to vary according to the degree of solar obscuration on the way to the receivers. This automatically brought in non-uniformity of the ionospheric parameters along the propagation paths. We find that an assumption of 4 km increase of lower ionospheric height for places going through totality in the propagation path simulate the observations very well at Kathmandu and Raiganj. We find an increase of the height parameter by h^′=+3.0$h^{\prime }=+3.0$ km for the VTX-Malda path and h^′=+1.8$h^{\prime }=+1.8$ km for the VTX-Kolkata path. We also present, as an example, the altitude variation of electron number density throughout the eclipse time at Raiganj.     

D-region ionospheric disturbances associated with the Extremely Severe Cyclone Fani over North Indian Ocean as observed from two tropical VLF stations

The D-region ionospheric disturbances due to the tropical cyclone Fani over the Indian Ocean have been analysed using Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio communication signals from three transmitters (VTX, NWC and JJI) received at two low latitude stations (Kolkata-CUB and Cooch Behar-CHB). The cyclone Fani formed from a depression on 26th April, 2019 over the Bay of Bengal (Northeastern part of the Indian Ocean) and turned into an extremely severe cyclone with maximum 1-min sustained winds of 250 km/h on 2 May, 2019 which made landfall on 3 May, 2019. Out of six propagation paths, five propagation paths, except the JJI-CHB which was far away from the cyclone track, showed strong perturbations beyond $3\sigma$ level compared to unperturbed signals. Consistent good correlations of VLF signal perturbations with the wind speed and cyclone pressure have been seen for both the receiving stations. Computations of radio signal perturbations at CUB and CHB using the Long Wave Propagation Capability (LWPC) code revealed a Gaussian perturbation in the D-region ionosphere. Analysis of atmospheric temperature at different layers from the NASA’s TIMED satellite revealed a cooling effect near the tropopause and warming effects near the stratopause and upper mesosphere regions on 3 May, 2019. This study shows that the cyclone Fani perturbed the whole atmosphere, from troposphere to ionosphere and the VLF waves responded to the disturbances in the conductivity profiles of the lower ionosphere.     

Evolution of an electron beam pulse influenced by coulomb collision effects in the solar corona

Electrons accelerated in the corona during solar activity give rise to radio emission events that can be observed over a wide range of frequencies. Among different finer-scale structures in the dynamic spectra observed in the radio range, fast transients with extents of some milliseconds known as solar radio spikes are observed accompaning the background continuum emission. Fundamental to the generation of radio spikes is a propagating electron beam and following its evolution allows us to understand the physical processes occurring in the solar corona. With the use of a numerical Fokker–Planck code we follow a previous numerical study to simulate the propagation of an electron beam pulse injected in a small region at the top of a magnetic field and outwards the solar corona under typical flare conditions. It was found that in large ambient densities of ${10}^{10}$ cm⁻³ at the injection point, Coulomb collision effects have an important effect on the propagation of the electrons, causing that the injected electrons thermalize faster in a time of $0.1$ and $0.4$ s for an electron distribution with a low-energy cut off of 16 and 7 keV respectively and a spectral index of 3. For a tenous ambient medium of density ${10}^9$ cm⁻³ thermalization occurs only for an electron distribution with smaller low-energy cut off (7 keV) with a duration of $\approx$1.5 s, while for a larger low-energy cut off (16 keV) the loss of accelerated electrons is very slow, regardles of the spectral index ($3,7$). The electron loss time by Coulomb collisions, which depends on the low boundary ambient density, might be an important parameter that influences the generation of radio spikes due to the formation of instabilities in the corona.