Midlatitude Total Electron Content and Slab Thickness-A Summary of Seasonal, Solar Cycle, and Magnetically Disturbed Behavior.

Abstract

This paper is a summary of the results of nearly a full solar cycle of recordings of Total Electron Content, TEC, taken from Hamilton, Massachusetts, a northern midlatitude station. While many of the aspects of TEC behavior from this station have been published separately, the completion of a nearly full solar cycle of data recordings provides a convenient time to compile a summary of the conclusions drawn from this work. The major features of diurnal, seasonal, and solar-cycle dependence of TEC and equivalent slab thickness are described. The seasonal anomaly in daily maximum TEC has a pronounced peak during equinoxes, as does N(max) from a nearby ionosonde. Daytime equivalent slab thickness, however, has no seasonal anomaly and a negligible semiannual component. Slab thickness is also shown not to be a useful measure of daytime neutral temperature. Average changes in TEC, N(max) and slab thickness during magnetic storms are summarized as well. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 10, 1977
Accession Number
ADA040916

Entities

People

  • J. A. Klobuchar

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Cycles
  • Data Centers
  • Diurnal Variations
  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Experimental Data
  • Faraday Effect
  • Ionosondes
  • Ionosphere
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Storms
  • Regions
  • Seasons
  • Solar Cycle
  • Thickness

Readers

  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics