Electron density in the polar F region ionosphere during solar minimum: modeling, radar and ionosonde observations

Renata Lukianova, Alexandr Kozlovsky

Abstract

We use measurements of the ionospheric electron density (Ne) obtained by the EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR) and the Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory (SGO) ionosonde for comparison with the Ne 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 Ne composites constructed for each local time hour. The results indicate that the modeled Ne distributions are in a reasonable agreement with the experimental data. However, the modeled altitude and peak density systematically exceed the observed values. The discrepancy may be related with cooling of the upper atmosphere due to the increased amount of green-house gasses, which is not accounted by the model.

KEYWORDS: Polar F region ionosphere, numerical modeling, plasma density, EISCAT radar, SGO ionosonde.

Submitted 17.10.2019, accepted 17.12.2019.

 
Citation: Lukianova Renata, Alexandr Kozlovsky (2019), Electron density in the polar F region ionosphere during solar minimum: modeling, radar and ionosonde observations, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 19, doi:10.2205/2019ES000699.
 

Copyright 2019 by the Geophysical Center RAS.