DETERMINATION OF IONOSPHERIC LOSS COEFFICIENTS FROM OBSERVATIONS ON SATELLITE X-RAY FLUXES AND SUDDEN IONOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES.
Abstract
Use has been made of recent satellite measurements of solar flare X-ray flux, and where available its spectral distribution, for detailed quantitative examination of the accompanying Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances, principally Sudden Cosmic Noise Absorption (SCNA). From observed or assumed spectral distributions of the X-ray flux, profiles of ion production rates are obtained for a few specific events. A comparison of these production rates with the observed excess attenuation during the peak of the SCNA leads to an upper limit for the value of the effective dissociative recombination coefficient alpha sub c when negative ions are ignored. These limiting values were found to range between 0.0000001 to 0.000001 cc/s. When the effect of negative ions is considered, alpha sub c is reduced to values around (1-4) x 10 to the minus 8th power cc/s. An extension of the above method involves the simultaneous use of SCNAs and SPAs at very low frequencies, along with X-ray spectral data. When this is done, it is possible to obtain information on both the dissociative recombination coefficient and negative ions. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0624392
Entities
People
- Ashesh P. Mitra
Organizations
- Pennsylvania State University