Ionospheric electron content within the equatorial F2 layer anomaly belt

Technical Report · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:5797684

Rastogi, R G; Klobuchar, J A

This Reprint describes some new results on the day-to-day behavior of the equatorial anomaly in the columnar electron content. The measurements were made from a unique network of stations covering dip latitudes from 0 to 25 N during the period in 1975-1976 near sunspot minimum when the ATS 6 satellite was visible from India. The latitudinal distribution of the total electron content on a particular day was found to depend only on the strength of the electrojet current, as determined by the difference of the horizontal magnetic field at stations on the magnetic equator and another outside the equatorial electrojet, rather than on the horizontal magnetic field measured only at the equatorial station. During magnetically disturbed periods the presence or absence of the anomaly was also found to depend only upon the strength of the electrojet current. The varying electrojet current, that is, the equatorial electric field, is very effective in moving the ionization to the anomaly latitudes of 15-20, but the columnar electron content over the magnetic equator remains relatively constant.

• Research Organization: Air Force Geophysics Lab., Hanscom AFB, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5797684
• Report Number(s): AD-A-229966/7/XAB; GL-TR--90-0322
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASIA
CURRENTS
DAILY VARIATIONS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROJETS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
F REGION
F2 LAYER
FERMIONS
GEOMAGNETIC EQUATOR
INDIA
IONIZATION
IONOSPHERE
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
ORIENTATION
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
VARIATIONS