Equatorial vertical E × B drift velocities inferred from ionosonde measurements over Ouagadougou and the IRI-2007 vertical ion drift model

F-region vertical plasma drift velocities were deduced from the hourly hmF2 values acquired from ionogram data over a near dip equatorial station Ouagadougou (12.4°N, 358.5°E, dip angle 5.9°N) in Africa. Our results are compared against the global empirical model of Scherliess and Fejer (1999) incorporated in the IRI model (IRI-2007) for 1600 to 0800 LT from 1 year of data during sunspot maximum year of 1989 (yearly average solar flux intensity, F10.7 = 192) corresponding to the peak phase of solar cycle 22, under magnetically quiet conditions. The drifts are entirely downward between 2000 and 0500 LT bin for both techniques and the root mean square error (RMSE) between the modeled and the ionosonde vertical plasma drifts during these periods is 3.80, 4.37, and 4.74 m/s for June solstice, December solstice and equinox, respectively. Ouagadougou average vertical drifts show evening prereversal enhancement (PRE) velocity peaks (V_ZP) of about 16, 14, and 17 m/s in June solstice, December solstice, and equinox, respectively, at 1900–2000 LT; whereas global empirical model average drifts indicate V_ZP of approximately 33 m/s (June solstice), 29 m/s (December solstice), and 50 m/s (equinox) at 1800 LT. We find very weak and positive correlation (+0.10376) between modeled V_ZP versus F10.7, while ionosonde V_ZP against F10.7 gives worst and opposite correlation (−0.05799). The results also show that modeled V_ZP–Ap indicates good and positive correlation (+0.64289), but ionosonde V_ZP–Ap exhibits poor and negative correlation (−0.22477).     

基于IRI背景场的单站电离层TEC地图重构技术

为了有效解决电离层TEC观测数据稀疏时重构问题, 引入IRI-2007作为背景场, 利用反距离加权法和克里格方法重构了电离层TEC地图, 使用交叉检验方法检验了引入背景场前后的重构精度. 结果表明, 引入背景场后, 一方面有效地控制了边缘地区的发散现象, 另一方面重构网格点上绝对误差在 -0.25~0.25 TECU之间的比例分别提高了约70 %和100 %, 误差统计基本呈正态分布. 可以通过引入更加精确的背景场或使用逐步订正方法进一步提高重构精度.      

STPA与ARP4761中的安全性分析方法对比研究

STPA 是一种自顶向下的系统工程方法,可用于对复杂系统进行安全性分析,但目前对该方法的应用 流程尚不具体,未表明其与传统安全性分析方法的异同,无法很好地体现出该方法的先进性和适用性。通过对 比分析STPA 方法与 ARP4761中提供的安全性分析过程,说明 STPA 方法对于军用标准 GJB900A-2012的 符合性,指出其不足之处,并在功能控制结构、不安全控制行为识别、致因分析三个方面提出改进措施,提供符 合现代飞机高技术特性的、值得借鉴的理论方法和流程指南,形成复杂航空产品乃至军用飞机系统级安全性设 计流程,加深理论与实践的融合,可为STPA 方法的进一步发展完善提供借鉴和参考。     

The subauroral electron density trough: Comparison between satellite observations and IRI-2007 model estimates

We compare electron density predictions of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI-2007) model with in situ measurements of the satellites CHAMP and GRACE for the years from 2005 to 2010 over the subauroral regions. The electron density between 58° and 68° Mlat are considered. The trough region Ne peaks during local summers and attain the valley during local winter. Around −100°E and 60°E, two larger electron density sectors features can be seen in both hemispheres during all three seasons, which attributed to the electron extending from middle latitude to trough region. From 2005 to the beginning of 2010, the model overestimates the trough region Ne by 20% on average and the decrease of Ne in this region can also be seen during the last solar minimum. In the southern hemisphere, the model prediction shows quite well consistence with the observation during all three seasons while the huge difference between observations and model estimation implies that the IRI-2007 model needs significant improvement to predict better the trough region in northern hemisphere.     

一种电离层垂直剖面物理模型及其与IRI-90模型的比较

在80-500km范围内考虑了3种中性成份的4种离子,从严格的电子和离子密度连续方程出发,对中性风和扩散效应进行了全面、连续的考虑,由此建立了一种电离层的物理模式;在此模式的基础上针对北京地区分别对太阳活动低年(F_10.7=60)、高年(F_10.7=300)的春(DOY=90)、夏(DOY=180)、秋(DOY=270)、冬(DOY=365)进行计算,并将所得结果与IRI-90进行了比较.结果表明: E层为典型的Chapman层: E-F谷区深度一般为0.2-0.5之间,比IRI要深;F₁缘在太阳活动低年的四季都出现,其中夏天最明显,已形成了一个F₁层,冬天最不明显,仅表现为一个轻微的凸缘,在太阳活动高年只有夏天出现了F₁凸缘,这与现有理论相符合,而IRI-90较少出现明显的F₁缘;F₂层的电子密度是活动高年比低年大,平均冬天比夏天大,这与观测结果也基本符合.      

Variation of monthly mean foF2 and hmF2 over a mid latitude station during the period 1997–2006

Ionosonde data of a mid latitude station Novosibirsk (Geog. Lat. 54.6°N, Geog. Long. 83.2°E) has been analyzed for the years 1997–2006 that covers the major part of solar cycle 23. Our results show the presence of winter anomaly in the daytime F2 layer critical frequency during different phases of solar activity. Results also reveal a semiannual variation of foF₂ with two maxima and a minimum that always appears in summer. While the first maximum is in the spring equinox, the second one is found to shift from autumn to winter with the increase of solar activity. The maximum height of F2 layer during the daytime shows variation with the solar activity. It is higher during the higher activity periods and lower during the periods of low activity. Results of ionosonde observations have been compared with those obtained from IRI-2007 model and it is found that model reproduces gross features of foF₂ variation. However, the modeled hmF₂ variations during equinoxes are significantly different from the ones derived using the ionosonde data. The model also underestimates the hmF₂ values.     

A comparison of ionosonde measured foF2 and IRI-2016 predictions over China

A comparison of the ionospheric F-region critical frequency (foF2) between ionosonde measurements and IRI-2016 predictions is studied over China during the period from January 2008 to October 2016. Four stations are selected, and the latitude coverage starts at 49.4°N and ends at 23.2°N with a sequential latitude interval of about 10°, the corresponding geomagnetic latitudes are from 39.5°N to 13.2°N. The results show that the variability of the observed foF2 versus latitudes, seasons, local time and levels of solar activity could be well reproduced by IRI-2016. However, the daily lowest value of foF2 from the IRI-2016 prediction occurs earlier than that from the ionosonde. Around the sunrise, the IRI-2016 prediction shows a very sharp rise and grows much faster than the observed foF2 in every month. The foF2 difference between the two options (URSI and CCIR) in IRI-2016 increases as the F10.7 index decreases. During 2008–2009, the annual average deviations of URSI and CCIR range from ?5% to ?10% and from 5% to ?5%, respectively. Generally, the CCIR performs better than URSI during postsunset under low solar activity or in Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) region over China, while it shows no large difference in performance with URSI in other locations or for other time.     

Study the behavior of the ionospheric frequencies at Karachi during three consecutive solar minima of cycle 21, 22 & 23 and their comparison with IRI-2016

The behavior of critical frequencies of ionospheric E and F2 layers (foE & foF2) along with minimum ionospheric frequency (fmin) is studied for solar minima of cycle 21 (1986), 22 (1996) and 23 (2008) over Karachi (24.95$°$N, 67.13$°$E), Pakistan. The station is located at the crest of equatorial ionization anomaly region. Beside seasonal differences, pronounced change in the values of frequencies is noted from one solar minimum to another solar minimum. A strong and direct correlation of foF2 with Smoothed Sunspot Number (SSN) and F10.7?cm solar flux is observed. In the minimum of cycle 23, reduction in foF2 is noted due to reduction of solar EUV as compared to other minima. Also disappearance of semi-annual variations in foF2 is noted in cycle 23 minimum. Unexpectedly higher values of foE and fmin are observed in minimum of cycle 23 as compared to other minima. It is difficult to explain this unusual behavior of fmin and foE along with disappearance of semi-annual variation in foF2. It is possible that during very low solar activity, thermospheric conditions are changed which in turn altered the ionosphere. Further investigation of atmosphere-ionosphere coupling is required to understand this complex behavior. On comparison of observed values with IRI-2016, higher deviations are observed in foE before noon hours while in case of foF2, large deviations are noted during daytime. The absence of foF2 semi-annual variation in cycle 23 is not reproduced by IRI-2016. It is suggested that IRI-2016 need some modification for extremely low solar activity condition.     

IRI-2007对扩展F的预测与观测比较研究

通过对赤道地区两台站的扩展F 实际观测值与IRI-2007 模型预测值的比较, 研究了该模型预测结果的地域局限性和预测的准确度. 该模型建立在美洲扇区赤道附近台站资料基础上, 本文选取非洲扇区大体同纬度两个台站资料进行对比研究. 统计结果表明, 无论在发生概率日均值的年变化趋势上, 还是在扩展F 发生率年均值随地方时变化以及随太阳活动的统计中, 都存在着明显的差异; 而对非洲两站实测值的分析和IRI-2007 模型对南美巴西地区的预测又分别与当前已有的研究结果相符. 分析结果表明, (1) 建立在巴西台站数据基础上的IRI-2007 模型的统计建模极具参考价值; (2) 赤道和低纬度电离层扩展F 现象有强烈的经度效应, 在该模型建模方法基础上, 结合不同扇区实际资料的统计, 能改进该模型全球应用的普适性; (3) IRI-2007模型能正确反映巴西地区扩展F 的发生概率, 用该模型和其他扇区不同条件下的实测值对比, 提供了一个细致研究扩展F经度效应的基础, 有利于确认导致扩展F发生的基本条件和多种影响因素的具体作用.