New Vary‐Chap Scale Height Profile Retrieved From COSMIC Radio Occultation Data

Abstract The Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation technique provides materials for the validation of a mathematical description of the topside ionosphere up to the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite altitude. An attempt to represent the topside electron density profile is using α ‐Chapm...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geophysical research. Space physics 2020-03, Vol.125 (3)
Main Authors: Wu, M. J., Guo, P., Chen, Y. L., Fu, N. F., Hu, X. G., Hong, Z. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chapman function
Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate
Earth orbits
Electron density
Electron density profiles
Empirical analysis
Global navigation satellite system
Ionosphere
Ionospheric models
Low earth orbits
Mathematical models
Meteorology
Navigation
Navigation satellites
Navigation systems
Parameters
Pluto
Radio occultation
Radio occultation techniques
Satellites
Scale height
Shape functions
Solar activity
Solar cycle
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract The Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation technique provides materials for the validation of a mathematical description of the topside ionosphere up to the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite altitude. An attempt to represent the topside electron density profile is using α ‐Chapman function with a continuously varying scale height. In this study, the Vary‐Chap scale height profiles are obtained based on Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) electron density profiles from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2013 and fitted by a shape function composed of two weighted patterns representing the ion and electron contributions of lower and higher altitudes. The associated fitting parameters a and b are analyzed to reveal their temporal and spatial features and variations along with enhancement of solar activity. The prominent dependence on latitudes, longitudes, the local time, the season, and the solar cycle shown in the parameters inspires future modeling of the Vary‐Chap scale height in constructing empirical topside ionospheric models. Key Points The Vary‐Chap scale height is retrieved from the COSMIC electron density profiles A shape function composed of two weighted patterns is proposed to fit the Vary‐Chap scale height profile Fitting coefficients and key parameters are analyzed to probe their spatial and temporal features
ISSN:2169-9380
2169-9402
DOI:10.1029/2019JA027637