Physics
Scientific paper
Oct 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005jastp..67.1377m&link_type=abstract
Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Volume 67, Issue 15, p. 1377-1387.
Physics
36
Scientific paper
We use the NASA-JPL global ionospheric maps of total electron content (TEC), obtained from observations of GPS satellite signals, to construct average noon TEC maps for one-month periods centered on the June and December solstices of 2002. By combining data from equivalent points in the northern and southern hemispheres, we find that the combined north+south TEC in December substantially exceeds that in June, almost everywhere. The global average of an ‘Asymmetry Index’ (AI) used to characterize such patterns, AI=(Dec-June)/(Dec+June), results in AI=0.15 for 2002, far greater than the value of 0.035 that corresponds to the annual variation of the solar irradiance due to Sun-Earth distance. Since the F2-layer makes the major contribution to TEC, we regard this as a manifestation of the F2-layer annual asymmetry, discovered some decades ago but never explained. The neutral atomic oxygen/molecular nitrogen concentration ratio, derived from the GUVI experiment on the TIMED satellite, shows a similar but smaller asymmetry (AI=0.06), providing some evidence that the ionospheric asymmetry is related to changes in thermospheric composition, with a still smaller AI=0.03 in the NRL MSIS thermospheric model.
Huang Chia-Lin
Meier Robert R.
Mendillo Michael
Pi Xiaoqing
Rishbeth Henry
No associations
LandOfFree
The global ionospheric asymmetry in total electron content does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The global ionospheric asymmetry in total electron content, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The global ionospheric asymmetry in total electron content will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1365376