Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008jgra..11312308w&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 113, Issue A12, CiteID A12308
Physics
3
Ionosphere: Equatorial Ionosphere, Ionosphere: Ion Chemistry And Composition (0335), Ionosphere: Ionospheric Disturbances, Ionosphere: Solar Radiation And Cosmic Ray Effects, Space Weather: Solar Effects
Scientific paper
Solar eclipses are known to locally disrupt the transport, production, and loss mechanisms in the ionosphere. Ion composition, ion temperature, and neutral temperature data from the Atmosphere Explorer E spacecraft are examined for the total solar eclipse of 16 February 1980. The spacecraft transited twice across the dayside face of the Earth during the course of the eclipse, allowing for examination of eclipse effects to be made over a wide longitude and local time range and for examination of posteclipse recovery of the ionosphere. One orbit from 14 February, occurring over a longitude and local time range similar to that of the first eclipse orbit, is used as control data. The eclipse had a significant effect on the concentrations of both O+ and N+, which both dropped. The concentration of H+ seems to show an eclipse effect, but the concentrations are too low to draw definite conclusions. Signatures of charge exchange between H+ and neutral oxygen are seen in the data from the second eclipse orbit. The ion temperature drops by as much as 60 K. The neutral atmosphere shows no change in temperature during the course of the eclipse. The second eclipse orbit occurred closer to the path of the eclipse than did the first orbit, and the perturbations caused by the eclipse are greater in the second orbit. The control and second eclipse orbit data are compared to results from the International Reference Ionosphere 2000 model. The model results show good qualitative agreement with the ion concentration data.
Campbell Duncan
Goldsmith G.
West K. H.
Zandstra S.
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