Equatorial F-Region Electron Densities Over a Solar Cycle: Comparisons between Observations and Numerical Models.
Abstract
Incoherent scatter radar observations at Jicamarca, Peru, from 1964 to the present, have been used to study the seasonal and solar cycle variations in the daily equatorial ionospheric plasma density profiles for select hours. The peak density, peak layer height, and layer thickness are dependent on solar activity which is determined by F1O.7 cm flux. There are large variations in the daily plasma density profiles for each season and solar flux. The peak plasma densities are largest for December solstice (southern hemisphere summer), and smallest for June Solstice (southern hemisphere winter). The changes in the peak height, bottomside density, and topside density are dependent on seasonal and on temporal variations in the equatorial F-region vertical plasma drifts at Jicamarca. Geomagnetic disturbance affects primarily the topside F-region density layer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA258572
Entities
People
- Amanda P. Creamer
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology