Climatology of ionospheric upper transition height derived from COSMIC satellites during the solar minimum of 2008

Yue, Xinan; Schreiner, William S.; Lei, Jiuhou; Rocken, Christian; Kuo, Ying‐Hwa; Wan, Weixing

doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2010.08.018

Cited by 28 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…4a) th solar minimum, the transition height reduced quickly, even lower than 660 km in daytime around LT 10:30. Yue et al (2010) studied the ionospheric transition height derived from COS-MIC satellite, and they found that the transition height was very low, with significant local time, latitude and seasonal variations, during the extremely low solar minimum of 2008. From their results, during June-August around LT 10:00 and 22:00, the transition heights were all lower than 600 km within the latitude of ±10°, which well coincided with the results in daytime in this paper.…”

Section: The Spatial Distribution Of H + From Dmsp Satellitementioning

confidence: 99%

The spatial distribution of hydrogen ions at topside ionosphere in local daytime

Shen¹,

Zhang²

2017

Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci.

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Using DEMETER and DMSP satellite data, the spatial distribution of hydrogen ion (H + ) in local daytime has been compared and analyzed. At 840 km of DMSP height, the seasonal variations of H + density is basically symmetric, with similar density values near to the magnetic equator at northern hemisphere in December and at southern hemisphere in June. But at DEMETER satellite height, the peak H + density shows obvious enhancement at northern hemisphere in December solstice, while with approximate small values at both hemispheres in June. This spatial distribution feature is totally different with other ions such as O + and He + at the topside ionosphere. And also it influences the transition height in topside ionosphere, with lower transition height over northern hemisphere in December season at 10 -20°N than those at equator and over southern hemisphere in June season. The solstitial asymmetry index (AI) of H + at 670 km altitude gives the significant December season enhancement over northern hemisphere, which is typically reversed with electron density (Ne) and ion density (Ni) with large numbers over southern hemisphere in December season. Finally combining with the distribution of H atoms and neutral wind velocity in upper atmosphere, the forming mechanism and asymmetry feature of peak H + density is discussed. It is illustrated that the upwelling movement at equatorial area and northward neutral wind play important roles in H + peak drift in December season at DEMETER satellite altitude below the transition height where H + is not the main composition in the local daytime in solar minimum years. Keywords:Hydrogen ion, Topside ionosphere, Seasonal asymmetry, DEMETER satellite Citation:Shen, X. and X. Zhang, 2017: The spatial distribution of hydrogen ions at topside ionosphere in local daytime.

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Section: The Spatial Distribution Of H + From Dmsp Satellitementioning

confidence: 99%

The spatial distribution of hydrogen ions at topside ionosphere in local daytime

Shen¹,

Zhang²

2017

Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci.

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“…A number of studies on the transition height and its spatial and temporal variations can be found in the literature. All these studies principally employ two different observational techniques to determine the transition height: (i) ion composition measurements by in situ sensors [e.g., Miyazaki , ; Kutiev et al ., ; Gonzalez et al ., ; Heelis et al ., ] or by incoherent scatter radars [e.g., Hysell et al ., ] and (ii) altitudinal profiles of ion density measured by topside or ground‐based sounders [e.g., Titheridge , ; Webb et al ., ; Kutiev et al ., ; Marinov et al ., ; Kutiev and Marinov , ] and GPS radio occultation [e.g., Yue et al ., ]. A detailed description of the variation of transition height is provided by Titheridge [] who used theoretical ion density profiles (described by analytical functions) to fit with topside profiles observed by Alouette‐1 by iteratively changing the temperature, temperature gradient, and transition height until a best fit was obtained.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Miyazaki [] explained this increase in the transition height as due to charged particle temperature increase and upward movement of O + ion density. On the other hand, the transition heights derived using the shape and/or scale height of topside ion density profiles [ Marinov et al ., ; Kutiev and Marinov , ; Yue et al ., ] show a distinct maximum around the geomagnetic equator and a decrease with latitudes away from the equator. This discrepancy observed in Marinov et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[], Kutiev and Marinov [], and Yue et al . [] perhaps arises because of (i) their assumption of constant scale height of O + above the F 2 peak and (ii) the influence of E × B drift on the profile shape at equatorial latitudes [ Tulasi Ram et al ., , ]. Many of the above studies (except Yue et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many of the above studies (except Yue et al . []) present the latitudinal variation of H T either during (June and December) solstices or combining the data from solstices and equinoxes together. One of the common features observed from these studies is that the H T in the summer hemisphere is higher than in the winter hemisphere because of field‐aligned upward transport of O + by summer to winter transequatorial neutral wind.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unique latitudinal shape of ion upper transition height (H_T) surface during deep solar minimum (2008–2009)

et al. 2015

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The ionospheric upper transition height (H T ) is found to increase dramatically by~100 km from 2008-2009 to 2010 only for a marginal increase in solar activity (F 10.7 ) by 11.76 solar flux units. The latitudinal variation of H T surface during 2008-2009 period exhibits a local minimum at equatorial latitudes and increase at low latitudes. Further, the H T at equatorial latitudes exhibits slower rate of increase than at low latitudes. These interesting features are new and different from those reported in literature. A quick loss of O + and increase in H + ions are observed around~550 to 650 km indicating that the charge exchange reaction is responsible for the slower rate of increase and lowered H T at equatorial latitudes. These new aspects of H T are more conspicuously observed during this deep solar minimum period where the resonant charge exchange reaction is taking place at altitudes as low as~550 km.

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Two‐component model of topside ionosphere electron density profiles retrieved from Global Navigation Satellite Systems radio occultations

et al. 2013

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[1] A simple model for the topside ionosphere region is introduced and applied to fit radio-occultation-retrieved electron density profiles for altitudes above the F2 peak. The model considers two isothermal components representing the population of the O + (ionosphere component) and the H + (protonosphere component) ions. The purpose of the model is to achieve an accurate fit of the observed profiles in the topside ionosphere region while, at the same time, allowing a direct and simple derivation of two important ionospheric parameters, namely the O + vertical scale height and the upper transition height. Covering a time period of 1 year, the fits with the two-component model function are compared with those achieved with one-component functions commonly used in the literature and it is shown that the former provides significantly better fits than the later, with more than a factor of two improvement. The model predictions concerning: the correlation between the O + vertical scale height and the upper transition height, the altitude dependence of the vertical scale height of the electron density, and the quantitative contribution of the protonosphere to the total electron content are examined and shown to be consistent with the observations and with previous studies. It is concluded that the model provides a realistic description of the vertical distribution of the two main ion constituents of the topside ionosphere.Citation: González-Casado, G., J. M. Juan, M. Hernández-Pajares, and J. Sanz (2013), Two-component model of topside ionosphere electron density profiles retrieved from Global Navigation Satellite Systems radio occultations,

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Climatology of ionospheric upper transition height derived from COSMIC satellites during the solar minimum of 2008

Cited by 28 publications

References 24 publications

The spatial distribution of hydrogen ions at topside ionosphere in local daytime

The spatial distribution of hydrogen ions at topside ionosphere in local daytime

Unique latitudinal shape of ion upper transition height (H_T) surface during deep solar minimum (2008–2009)

Two‐component model of topside ionosphere electron density profiles retrieved from Global Navigation Satellite Systems radio occultations

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Climatology of ionospheric upper transition height derived from COSMIC satellites during the solar minimum of 2008

Cited by 28 publications

References 24 publications

The spatial distribution of hydrogen ions at topside ionosphere in local daytime

The spatial distribution of hydrogen ions at topside ionosphere in local daytime

Unique latitudinal shape of ion upper transition height (HT) surface during deep solar minimum (2008–2009)

Two‐component model of topside ionosphere electron density profiles retrieved from Global Navigation Satellite Systems radio occultations

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Product

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Unique latitudinal shape of ion upper transition height (H_T) surface during deep solar minimum (2008–2009)