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D-Region Electron Density Measurements during the Solar Eclipse of May 20,1966

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Solar Eclipses and the Ionosphere

Abstract

Rocket (Underwood and Muney, 1967) and satellite observations of 2–8Å X-ray emissions indicate that the solar eclipse of May 20, 1966 occurred during a period in which the Sun was moderately active. The Goddard Space Flight Center conducted a series of small sounding rocket experiments to meàsure the ionospheric D-region electron density profile during successive stages of the eclipse. Compared to the uneclipsed profile, an order of magnitude reduction is observed in the D-region profile obtained near totality. From the electron density measurements together with the X-ray spectral data of Underwood and Muney it is concluded that on May 20, 1966, 2–8 Å X-rays were not the dominant source of D-region ionization below approximately 80 km.

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© 1970 Plenum Press, New York

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Kane, J.A. (1970). D-Region Electron Density Measurements during the Solar Eclipse of May 20,1966. In: Anastassiades, M. (eds) Solar Eclipses and the Ionosphere. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1839-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1839-2_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-1841-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-1839-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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