The Electron Content and Its Variations at Natal, Brazil

Abstract

The Faraday rotation and amplitude data for the period September 1978 through August 1979, recorded from the geostationary satellite SMS 1 (90 deg @) at Natal (5.9 deg S, 35.2 deg W), have been utilized to study the behavior of total electron content (TEC). Apart from diurnal and seasonal behavior of TEC, two characteristic features of the nighttime ionosphere are discussed: (1) a postsunset enhancement in TEC which lasts for several hours following the rapid sunset decrease and (2) the sharp, isolated changes in TEC. In particular, relating to phenomenon 2, the depletions in TEC are usually accompanied by a simultaneous increase in fading rate, scintillation index, and amplitude level, while the enhancements are accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in fading rate, scintillation index, and amplitude level. The statistics of their occurrence and nature are described. The average behavior of the signal amplitude after propagating through either a depleted or an enhanced ionosphere is modeled theoretically and shown to be in agreement with the observed experimental behavior.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA126876

Entities

People

  • A. Tauriainen
  • K. C. Yeh
  • T. R. Tyagi

Organizations

  • University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Birds
  • Communication Systems
  • Diurnal Variations
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electromagnetic Wave Propagation
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Geosynchronous Satellites
  • Histograms
  • Instability
  • Ionosphere
  • Latitude
  • Measurement
  • Radio Signals
  • Radio Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Space