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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Semi-empirical, low-latitude ionospheric model. Report for September 1984-September 1985

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6328394

Current empirical models of the low-latitude ionospheric F-region (Llewellyn and Bent, 1973; Chiu, 1975; Rawer, 1981) severely underestimate the daytime plasma density scale-height and total electron content (TEC) when compared with actual observations. The International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) described by Rawer (1981) yields daytime TEC values which are 50% lower than observed TEC values at Manila (dip 14.5 N) in January 1982. Some improvement occurs when the Bent topside model is incorporated with the IRI, but the predicted values are still lower than observed. Substantial improvement is achieved when theoretically calculated profiles (Anderson 1973) are used to predict TEC values. The reason is that vertical plasma transport by upward E x B drift produces both topside and bottomside profiles which are much broader (thicker) than Chapman-like profiles.

Research Organization:
Boston Univ., MA (USA). Dept. of Astronomy
OSTI ID:
6328394
Report Number(s):
AD-A-159188/2/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English