Regional representation of F2 Chapman parameters based on electron density profiles
Understanding the physical processes within the ionosphere is a key requirement to improve and extend ionospheric modeling approaches. The determination of meaningful parameters to describe the vertical electron density distribution and how they are influenced by the solar activity is an importan...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2013-12-01
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Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/31/2215/2013/angeo-31-2215-2013.pdf |
Summary: | Understanding the physical processes within the ionosphere is a key
requirement to improve and extend ionospheric modeling approaches. The
determination of meaningful parameters to describe the vertical electron
density distribution and how they are influenced by the solar activity is an important topic in ionospheric research. In this regard, the F2 layer of the ionosphere plays a key role as it contains the highest concentration
of electrons and ions. In this contribution, the maximum electron density
<i>Nm</i>F2, peak height <i>hm</i>F2 and scale height <i>H</i>F2 of the
F2 layer are determined by employing a model approach for regional
applications realized by the combination of endpoint-interpolating polynomial
B splines with an adapted physics-motivated Chapman layer. For this purpose,
electron density profiles derived from ionospheric GPS radio occultation
measurements of the satellite missions FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC, GRACE and CHAMP
have been successfully exploited. Profiles contain electron density
observations at discrete spots, in contrast to the commonly used integrated
total electron content from GNSS, and therefore are highly sensitive to
obtaining the required information of the vertical electron density structure.
The spatio-temporal availability of profiles is indeed rather sparse, but the
model approach meets all requirements to combine observation techniques
implicating the mutual support of the measurements concerning accuracy,
sensitivity and data resolution. For the model initialization and to bridge
observation gaps, the International Reference Ionosphere 2007 is applied.
Validations by means of simulations and selected real data scenarios show
that this model approach has significant potential and the ability to yield
reliable results. |
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ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |