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A Comparison of foF2 Obtained from a Time-Dependent Ionospheric Model with Argentine Islands’ Data for Quiet Conditions

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics

Volume

50

Issue

12

Publication Date

1988

First Page

1027

Last Page

1039

Abstract

In this study a comparison is made of the Utah State University Time-Dependent Ionospheric Model (TDIM) and an ionosonde data set from Argentine Islands. This study is unique in that the Argentine Islands data set of foF2 spans complete diurnal, seasonal and solar cycle conditions for low geomagnetic activity. The TDIM reproduces these foF2 variations extremely well. Although the observed winter and summer solstice foF2 diurnal curves have opposite phases, they are readily modelled. At equinox where a sharp transition occurs from winter to summer, or vice versa, the monthly average is complicated by this feature and hence the TDIM does not reproduce the diurnal fine structure. The neutral wind induced vertical plasma drift is the only free parameter in this study. All the other inputs are fixed for the specific solar, seasonal and diurnal conditions. A vertical plasma drift variation is presented; although simplistic, it couples the geographic and geomagnetic frames. With additional information such as hmF2, it would be possible to deduce a unique vertically induced drift pattern.

Comments

Originally published by Elsevier. Publisher’s PDF available through remote link. Subscription is required.

https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9169(88)90092-X

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