RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES, VOL. 20, ES1004, doi:10.2205/2019ES000699, 2020
Renata Lukianova, Alexander Kozlovsky
We use measurements of the ionospheric electron density ($N_e$) obtained by the EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR) and the Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory (SGO) ionosonde for comparison with the $N_e$ distribution predicted by a numerical model of the polar $F$ region ionosphere. The model enables representing the main large-scale ionospheric irregularities, which are primarily controlled by the interplanetary magnetic field, particle precipitation, solar zenith angle and properties of the neutral atmosphere. The analysis utilizes the data collected in March, July and January under very quiet space weather conditions, when the radar operated almost continuously during International Polar Year. The main ionospheric parameters (magnitude and height of the $F2$ layer peak density) are inferred from the $N_e$ composites constructed for each local time hour. The results indicate that the modeled $N_e$ distributions are in a reasonable agreement with the experimental data. However, the modeled altitude and peak density systematically exceed, by about 10%, the observed values.
Received 17 October 2019; accepted 17 December 2019; published 7 February 2020.
Citation: Lukianova Renata , Alexander Kozlovsky (2020), Electron density in the polar F region ionosphere during solar minimum: modeling, radar and ionosonde observations, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 20, ES1004, doi:10.2205/2019ES000699.
Copyright 2020 by the Geophysical Center RAS.