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Vertical structure of longitudinal differences in electron densities at mid-latitudes

中纬电离层电子密度经度结构随高度的变化规律

  • Article
  • Earth Sciences
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Science Bulletin

Abstract

By using Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate satellite observations, and Global Ionosphere and Thermosphere Model simulations, the altitudinal dependences of the longitudinal differences in electron densities Ne were studied at mid-latitudes for the first time. Distinct altitudinal dependences were revealed: (1) In the northern (southern) hemisphere, there were wave-1 variations mainly in the daytime in the altitudes below 180 km, but wave-2 (wave-1) variations over a whole day above 220 km; (2) a transition (or separation) layer occurred mainly in the daytime within 180 and 220 km, showing reversed longitudinal variation from that at lower altitudes. Solar illumination was one of the plausible mechanisms for the zonal difference of Ne at lower altitudes. At higher altitudes, both neutral winds and solar illumination played important roles. The neutral winds effects accounted for the longitudinal differences in Ne in the European–Asian sector. Neutral composition changes and neutral wind effects both contributed to the formation of the transition layer.

摘要

本文利用COSMIC(Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate)卫星观测数据以及全球电离层磁层模型(GITM)模拟首次对中纬度电子密度Ne经度差异随高度变化的现象及产生机制进行了研究,结果如下:(1)北(南)半球,在180 km高度以下,白天电子密度主要为单波结构变化,但在220 km以上,几乎全天都呈现双波(单波)结构变化;(2)这种波形过渡(或者说分离)主要发生在白天的180-220 km高度区域,在这一区域甚至显示出与低空相反的经度变化。太阳光照是导致低空电子密度经度差异的可能机制。而在高空区域,太阳光照和中性风均能对电子密度产生重要影响,在亚欧地区,中性风效应是产生电子密度经度差异的主要原因。中性成分的变化和中性风效应均是形成过渡层(分离层)的重要因素。

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Acknowledgments

We thank Taiwan’s National Space Organization and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in the USA for provision of COSMIC data via the CDAAC database. The solar wind and IMF data are from NASA/GSFC’s Space Physics Data Facility’s OMNI Web service. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides the hemispheric power data. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41222030, 41521063, 41431073).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Space Physics, School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Hui Wang, Dingwei Liu & Jing Zhang

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  1. Hui Wang
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  2. Dingwei Liu
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Correspondence to Hui Wang.

Electronic supplementary material

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Fig. S1

Geolongitudinal and magnetic local time variations of differences in the electron densities (∆Ne) simulated by GITM at September Equinox during solar minimum years at altitudes of 160 km, 200 km, and 300 km in the northern (a, b, c) and southern (d, e, f) hemispheres. Densities are given in 1010m−3. Supplementary material 1 (EPS 27 kb)

Supplementary material 2 (EPS 29 kb)

Supplementary material 3 (EPS 31 kb)

Supplementary material 4 (EPS 26 kb)

Supplementary material 5 (EPS 23 kb)

Supplementary material 6 (EPS 23 kb)

Fig. S2

Geographic longitudinal versus magnetic local time distribution of the electron density residuals (ΔNe) at 100 km altitude when using an ideal dipole field with zero tilt angle. a is in the northern hemisphere and b is in the southern hemisphere. Supplementary material 7 (EPS 34 kb)

Supplementary material 8 (EPS 35 kb)

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Wang, H., Liu, D. & Zhang, J. Vertical structure of longitudinal differences in electron densities at mid-latitudes. Sci. Bull. 61, 252–262 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-015-0993-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-015-0993-7

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