Observations of TEC depletions over Indian low latitudes

Results pertaining to the latitudinal extent of the ionospheric irregularities in terms of TEC depletions have been presented for the two nights namely; 28 October 2004 and 7 February 2005. This study has been carried out using the GPS–TEC over the Indian low latitude stations, at Udaipur, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. This is probably the first report of simultaneous GPS observation of TEC depletions over different latitudes from the Indian sector. The results show that the amplitude of TEC depletions due to the equatorial spread F may vary with time and the location of the observation. The maximum amplitude of the TEC depletion has been found to be about 30 TECU over Hyderabad. The depletions in TEC are found to be field aligned.     

On the use of NeQuick topside option in IRI-2007

The latest version of IRI includes various options for the computation of the topside electron density profile. One of the possible choices is based on NeQuick model. Its inclusion in IRI has been made transferring all the formulations used in NeQuick model. In details, an Epstein layer function is used to describe the electron density profile and the topside shape is controlled by an empirical parameter, connected to the NeQuick F2 bottomside thickness parameter, B2bot. It is computed also in this IRI topside option in order to maintain self-consistency with its original formulation. This paper analyses the possibility of using the IRI bottomside parameters for this option and its impact on the profile and TEC. The case of experimental peak values given as input is also analysed.     

Comparison of the CHAMP radio occultation data with the Canadian advanced digital ionosonde in the Polar Regions

In this paper we present the results of the comparison of the retrieved electron density profiles of the Ionospheric Radio Occultation (IRO) experiment on board CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload), with the ground ionosonde profiles for the Polar Regions. IRO retrieved electron density profiles from CHAMP are compared with Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosonde (CADI) measurements at two vertical sounding stations well within the Polar Cap, Eureka (geog. 80°13′ N; 86°11′ W) and Resolute Bay (geog. 74°41′ N; 94°54′ W). We compared the ionospheric parameters such as the peak electron density of the F-layer (NmF₂) and the peak height of the F-layer (h_mF₂) for a 3-year period, 2004–2006. CHAMP derived NmF₂ shows reasonable agreement with the ionosonde retrieved NmF₂ for both the stations (0.76 and 0.71 correlation coefficient, for Eureka and Resolute Bay, respectively) whereas the h_mF₂ agreement is not that acceptable (0.25 and 0.37 correlation coefficient, respectively). The h_mF₂ from vertical sounding showed less spread than the CHAMP h_mF₂.     

Evaluation of the IRI-2007 model options for the topside electron density

The International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) 2007 provides two new options for the topside electron density profile: (a) a correction of the IRI-2001 model, and (b) the NeQuick topside formula. We use the large volume of Alouette 1, 2 and ISIS 1, 2 topside sounder data to evaluate these two new options with special emphasis on the uppermost topside where IRI-2001 showed the largest discrepancies. We will also study the accurate representation of profiles in the equatorial anomaly region where the profile function has to accommodate two latitudinal maxima (crests) at lower altitudes but only a single maximum (at the equator) higher up. In addition to IRI-2001 and the two new IRI-2007 options we also include the Intercosmos-based topside model of Triskova, Truhlik, and Smilauer [Triskova, L., Truhlik, V., Smilauer, J. An empirical topside electron density model for calculation of absolute ion densities in IRI. Adv. Space Res. 37 (5), 928–934, 2006] (TTS model) in our analysis. We find that overall IRI-2007-NeQ gives the best results but IRI-2007-corrected provides a more realistic representation of the altitudinal–latitudinal structure in the equatorial anomaly region. The applicability of the TTS model is limited by the fact that it is not normalized to the F2 peak density and height.     

Analysis of a topside ionospheric model using GPS and ionosonde observables

Ground-based vertical incidence soundings are well suited to model the bottom-side ionosphere but are not so good for dependably modelling the topside ionosphere. This study aims to combine vertical incidence sounding and dual-frequency GPS measurements to reconstruct the topside profile. The reconstruction technique relays on the use of the so-called vary-Chap approach that use an α-Chapman function with a continuously varying scale height.     

Theoretical simulation of electron density and temperature distribution at Indian equatorial and low latitude ionosphere

The electron density and temperature distribution of the equatorial and low latitude ionosphere in the Indian sector has been investigated by simultaneously solving the continuity, momentum and energy balance equations of ion and electron flux along geomagnetic field lines from the Northern to the Southern hemisphere. Model algorithm is presented and results are compared with the electron density and electron temperature measured in situ by Indian SROSS C2 satellite at an altitude of ∼500 km within 31°S–34°N and 75 ± 10°E that covers the Indian sector during a period of low solar activity. Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) observed in electron density, morning and afternoon enhancements, equatorial trough in electron temperature have been simulated by the model within reasonable limits of accuracy besides reproducing other normal diurnal features of density and temperature.     

Variability of the behavior of the bottomside (B0, B1) parameters obtained from the ground-based ionograms at China’s low latitude station

In this paper, data of (B0, B1) parameters deduced from the electron density profiles that are inverted from the ionograms recorded at Hainan (19.4°N, 109.0°E), China during a three year period from March 2002 to February 2005 are used to study the diurnal and seasonal variation of (B0, B1) parameters at low latitude. The observational results are compared with the IRI2001 model predictions. Variability study of (B0, B1) in terms of percentage ratio of the inter-quartiles to the median values and correlative analysis between (B0, B1) parameters and other ionospheric characteristics such as hmF2 and M(3000)F2 are also made. Our present study showed that: (1) for daytime hours, the IRI2001 model results with new table option (B0_Tab) is in a better agreement with the observational results (B0_Obs) than the IRI2001 model results with Gulyaeva option (B0_Gul) for summer season, whereas B0_Gul is in a better agreement with B0_Obs than B0_Tab for winter season. For nighttime, in general, B0_Gul is in a better agreement with B0_Obs than B0_Tab. For other occasions, both B0_Tab and B0_Gul showed some systematic deviations from the observational ones. Moreover, the deviations of B0_Tab and B0_Gul from B0_Obs showed opposite trends; (2) the monthly upper (lower) quartiles of (B0, B1) parameter showed a good linear relationship with the monthly median values, this makes it possible to do the regression analysis between the monthly upper (lower) quartiles and the monthly median values, which can give a measure of the variability of these parameters. In terms of the percentage ratio of the inter-quartiles to the median values, the variability of B0 showed a diurnal variation ranging between 22% and 36% with maximum value occurring at pre-sunrise hours, whereas the variability of B1 showed a diurnal variation ranging between 15% and 30% with higher value by daytime than at night; (3) B0 shows high linear correlative relationships with hmF2 and M(3000)F2 for most of the local time period of a day except for a few hours around midnight, whereas B1 showed high linear correlations with B0, hmF2 for daytime hours, but not for nighttime hours. This suggests that it maybe is possible to obtain the synthetic database of (B0, B1) parameter or to construct the model of (B0, B1) using database of hmF2 or M(3000)F2 which is much easier to obtain from experimental measurements.     

释放SF_6气体改变电离层电子密度的实验研究

电离层受到自然或人工扰动后产生的电子密度变化会影响无线电的传播。实验模拟了人工释放SF_6气体扰动电离层,通过对SF_6气体在电离层中的扩散过程和相应的离子化学反应的分析,并结合实验测量,研究了电离层电子密度随SF_6气体释放量的变化规律。实验结果表明:SF_6气体在电离层高度释放后,电子密度显著减少,且减少量与气体释放量在一定范围内呈负指数关系。研究可为今后提高卫星通信保密性和实施通信干扰等应用提供理论依据。     

非相干雷达探测低电离层的结果分析

位于波多黎各的Arecibo非相干雷达可以获得低电离层电子和离子密度, 利用此非相干雷达数据对中纬度低电离层的运动特征进行研究. 得到了电子密度随时间和高度的变化 情况, 结果显著呈现出周日变化特征, 并分析了电子密度随高度的变化规律. 进一步对数据进行频谱分析, 深入研究低电离层电子密度的周日变化效应. 得到电子密度的高度剖面, 发现从F层底部到E层有明显的等离子体沉降. 低电离层的层结构特征及电子密度变化表明, 在该区域还存在不同程度的等离子体扰动, 由此对低电离层的作用因素 进行分析, 认为大气潮汐或声重波可能对低电离层产生扰动, 即低电离层与大气存在一定程度的耦合作用.      

Numerical simulation of equatorial plasma bubbles over Cachimbo: COPEX campaign

The problem of day-to-day variability in onset of equatorial spread F (ESF) is addressed using data from the 2002 COPEX observational campaign in Brazil and numerical modeling. The observational results show that for values of virtual height of the F layer base less than 355 km at around 18:35 LT, and for the prereversal peak enhancement of the vertical plasma drift (Vp) less than 30 m/s, the spread-F (ESF) was absent on four nights over Cachimbo (9.5°S, 54.8°W, dip latitude = −2.1°). In this work we analyze the geophysical conditions for the generation of the irregularities by comparing the nights with and without the ESF. In the comparison a numerical code is used to simulate plasma irregularity development in an extended altitude range from the bottom of the equatorial F   layer. The code uses the flux corrected transport method with Boris–Book’s flux limiter for the spatial integration and a predictor–corrector method for the direct time integration of the continuity equation for O⁺${\mathrm{O}}^{+}$ and the SOR (Successive-Over-Relaxation) method for electric potential equation. The code is tested with different evening eastward electric fields (or vertical drifts Vp < 30 m/s and Vp > 30 m/s) in order to study the influence of the prereversal enhancement in the zonal electric field on plasma bubble formation and development. The code also takes into account the zonal wind, the vertical electric field and the collision frequency of ions with neutrals and the amplitude of initial perturbation. The simulation shows a good agreement with the observational results of the ESF. The results of the code suggest that the instability can grow at the F layer bottomside by the Rayleigh–Taylor mechanism only when the Vp > 30 m/s. In the analyzed cases we have considered the competition of other geophysical parameters in the generation of plasma structures.