f0F2 半年变化的特征和一种可能机制

利用东亚和澳大利亚扇区不同地磁纬度台站和两个极区台站1974-1986 年电离层垂直探测数据, 分析了f₀F₂ 半年变化的主要特征. 提出了产生f₀F₂ 半年变化的一种新的物理机制: 低热层日潮的半年变化, 引起赤道电急流幅度的半年变化, 通过 喷泉效应! 使得赤道电离层异常幅度产生半年变化, 从而形成f₀F₂ 的半年变化.     

Modelling F2-layer seasonal trends and day-to-day variability driven by coupling with the lower atmosphere

This paper presents results from the TIME-GCM-CCM3 thermosphere–ionosphere–lower atmosphere flux-coupled model, and investigates how well the model simulates known F2-layer day/night and seasonal behaviour and patterns of day-to-day variability at seven ionosonde stations. Of the many possible contributors to F2-layer variability, the present work includes only the influence of ‘meteorological’ disturbances transmitted from lower levels in the atmosphere, solar and geomagnetic conditions being held at constant levels throughout a model year.In comparison to ionosonde data, TIME-GCM-CCM3 models the peak electron density (NmF2) quite well, except for overemphasizing the daytime summer/winter anomaly in both hemispheres and seriously underestimating night NmF2 in summer. The peak height hmF2 is satisfactorily modelled by day, except that the model does not reproduce its observed semiannual variation. Nighttime values of hmF2 are much too low, thus causing low model values of night NmF2. Comparison of the variations of NmF2 and the neutral [O/N₂] ratio supports the idea that both annual and semiannual variations of F2-layer electron density are largely caused by changes of neutral composition, which in turn are driven by the global thermospheric circulation.Finally, the paper describes and discusses the characteristics of the F2-layer response to the imposed ‘meteorological’ disturbances. The ionospheric response is evaluated as the standard deviations of five ionospheric parameters for each station within 11-day blocks of data. At any one station, the patterns of variability show some coherence between different parameters, such as peak electron density and the neutral atomic/molecular ratio. Coherence between stations is found only between the closest pairs, some 2500 km apart, which is presumably related to the scale size of the ‘meteorological’ disturbances. The F2-layer day-to-day variability appears to be related more to variations in winds than to variations of thermospheric composition.     

Semiannual and annual variations in the height of the ionospheric F2-peak

Ionosonde data from sixteen stations are used to study the semiannual and annual variations in the height of the ionospheric F2-peak, hmF2. The semiannual variation, which peaks shortly after equinox, has an amplitude of about 8 km at an average level of solar activity (10.7 cm flux = 140 units), both at noon and midnight. The annual variation has an amplitude of about 11 km at northern midlatitudes, peaking in early summer; and is larger at southern stations, where it peaks in late summer. Both annual and semiannual amplitudes increase with increasing solar activity by day, but not at night. The semiannual variation in hmF2 is unrelated to the semiannual variation of the peak electron density NmF2, and is not reproduced by the CTIP and TIME-GCM computational models of the quiet-day thermosphere and ionosphere. The semiannual variation in hmF2 is approximately isobaric, in that its amplitude corresponds quite well to the semiannual variation in the height of fixed pressure-levels in the thermosphere, as represented by the MSIS empirical model. The annual variation is not isobaric. The annual mean of hmF2 increases with solar 10.7 cm flux, both by night and by day, on average by about 0.45 km/flux unit, rather smaller than the corresponding increase of height of constant pressure-levels in the MSIS model. The discrepancy may be due to solar-cycle variations of thermospheric winds. Although geomagnetic activity, which affects thermospheric density and temperature and therefore hmF2 also, is greatest at the equinoxes, this seems to account for less than half the semiannual variation of hmF2. The rest may be due to a semiannual variation of tidal and wave energy transmitted to the thermosphere from lower levels in the atmosphere.     

电离层电场的半年变化对F2区峰值电子浓度的影响

利用一个电离层理论模式，模拟了太阳活动低年、地磁宁静情况下，中低纬和赤道地区电离层F2区峰值电子浓度(NmF2)的半年变化规律，重点讨论了电离层电场对NmF2半年变化的影响.模拟结果表明，当输入的电场没有周年和半年变化时，磁赤道地区电离层NmF2本身就具有一定的半年变化特征，而在稍高的纬度上，NmF2半年变化的强度较弱.当输入的电场具有一定的半年变化时，电离层NmF2的半年变化强度有明显的改变，且这种改变随地方时和地磁纬度不同有明显的差别.在地磁赤道附近的电离层赤道槽地区，从上午到午夜的时间内，具有半年变化的电场对电离层NmF2半年变化的强度是减弱的作用，在其他的时间内，电场对电离层NmF2半年变化强度是加强的作用.而在稍高纬度的电离层驼峰地区，情况明显不同.从上午一直到翌日日出前，具有半年变化的电场对电离层NmF2半年变化的幅度都是加强的作用.在其他的时间内，电场对电离层NmF2半年变化的幅度是减弱的作用.同时，研究表明电离层电场对NmF2半年变化的作用和“赤道喷泉”现象强烈相关.     

First results from ground-based daytime optical investigation of the development of the equatorial ionization anomaly

A meridional scanning OI 630.0-nm dayglow photometer was operated from Ahmedabad (17.2^°N dip lat.) scanning a region towards the south in the upper atmosphere extending over \sim5^° in latitude from 10.2^°N to 15.2^°N dip latitude. From the spatial and temporal variabilities of the dayglow intensity in the scanning region we show for the first time, evidence for the passage of the crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) in the daytime by means of a ground-based optical technique. The relationship between the daytime eastward electric field over the dip equator in the same longitude zone as inferred from the equatorial electrojet strength and the evolutionary pattern of EIA is clearly demonstrated. The latter as inferred from the dayglow measurements is shown to be consistent with our present understanding of the electrodynamical processes in the equatorial region. The present results reveal the potential of this ground-based optical technique for the investigation of ionospheric/thermospheric phenomena with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.     

Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer: II. Physical discussion

The companion paper by Zou et al. shows that the annual and semiannual variations in the peak F2-layer electron density (NmF2) at midlatitudes can be reproduced by a coupled thermosphere-ionosphere computational model (CTIP), without recourse to external influences such as the solar wind, or waves and tides originating in the lower atmosphere. The present work discusses the physics in greater detail. It shows that noon NmF2 is closely related to the ambient atomic/molecular concentration ratio, and suggests that the variations of NmF2 with geographic and magnetic longitude are largely due to the geometry of the auroral ovals. It also concludes that electric fields play no important part in the dynamics of the midlatitude thermosphere. Our modelling leads to the following picture of the global three-dimensional thermospheric circulation which, as envisaged by Duncan, is the key to explaining the F2-layer variations. At solstice, the almost continuous solar input at high summer latitudes drives a prevailing summer-to-winter wind, with upwelling at low latitudes and throughout most of the summer hemisphere, and a zone of downwelling in the winter hemisphere, just equatorward of the auroral oval. These motions affect thermospheric composition more than do the alternating day/night (up-and-down) motions at equinox. As a result, the thermosphere as a whole is more molecular at solstice than at equinox. Taken in conjunction with the well-known relation of F2-layer electron density to the atomic/molecular ratio in the neutral air, this explains the F2-layer semiannual effect in NmF2 that prevails at low and middle latitudes. At higher midlatitudes, the seasonal behaviour depends on the geographic latitude of the winter downwelling zone, though the effect of the composition changes is modified by the large solar zenith angle at midwinter. The zenith angle effect is especially important in longitudes far from the magnetic poles. Here, the downwelling occurs at high geographic latitudes, where the zenith angle effect becomes overwhelming and causes a midwinter depression of electron density, despite the enhanced atomic/molecular ratio. This leads to a semiannual variation of NmF2. A different situation exists in winter at longitudes near the magnetic poles, where the downwelling occurs at relatively low geographic latitudes so that solar radiation is strong enough to produce large values of NmF2. This circulation-driven mechanism provides a reasonably complete explanation of the observed pattern of F2 layer annual and semiannual quiet-day variations.     

Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer. I. Modelling

Annual, seasonal and semiannual variations of F2-layer electron density (NmF2) and height (hmF2) have been compared with the coupled thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere computational model (CTIP), for geomagnetically quiet conditions. Compared with results from ionosonde data from midlatitudes, CTIP reproduces quite well many observed features of NmF2, such as the dominant winter maxima at high midlatitudes in longitude sectors near the magnetic poles, the equinox maxima in sectors remote from the magnetic poles and at lower latitudes generally, and the form of the month-to-month variations at latitudes between about 60°N and 50°S. CTIP also reproduces the seasonal behaviour of NmF2 at midnight and the summer-winter changes of hmF2. Some features of the F2-layer, not reproduced by the present version of CTIP, are attributed to processes not included in the modelling. Examples are the increased prevalence of the winter maxima of noon NmF2 at higher solar activity, which may be a consequence of the increase of F2-layer loss rate in summer by vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen, and the semiannual variation in hmF2, which may be due to tidal effects. An unexpected feature of the computed distributions of NmF2 is an east-west hemisphere difference, which seems to be linked to the geomagnetic field configuration. Physical discussion is reserved to the companion paper by Rishbeth et al.     

Numerical analysis of global ionospheric current system including the effect of equatorial enhancement

A modeling method is proposed to derive a two-dimensional ionospheric layer conductivity, which is appropriate to obtain a realistic solution of the polar-originating ionospheric current system including equatorial enhancement. The model can be obtained by modifying the conventional, thin shell conductivity model. It is shown that the modification for one of the non-diagonal terms (Σ_θφ) in the conductivity tensor near the equatorial region is very important; the term influences the profile of the ionospheric electric field around the equator drastically. The proposed model can reproduce well the results representing the observed electric and magnetic field signatures of geomagnetic sudden commencement. The new model is applied to two factors concerning polar-originating ionospheric current systems. First, the latitudinal profile of the DP2 amplitude in the daytime is examined, changing the canceling rate for the dawn-to-dusk electric field by the region 2 field-aligned current. It is shown that the equatorial enhancement would not appear when the ratio of the total amount of the region 2 field-aligned current to that of region 1 exceeds 0.5. Second, the north-south asymmetry of the magnetic fields in the summer solstice condition of the ionospheric conductivity is examined by calculating the global ionospheric current system covering both hemispheres simultaneously. It is shown that the positive relationship between the magnitudes of high latitude magnetic fields and the conductivity is clearly seen if a voltage generator is given as the source, while the relationship is vague or even reversed for a current generator. The new model, based on the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model, can be applied to further investigations in the quantitative analysis of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling problems.     

利用IGS数据分析全球TEC的周年和半年变化特性

利用太阳活动高年（2000年）IGS提供的全球TEC数据，采用傅里叶展开的方法，分析了白天电离层TEC周年和半年变化的全球特征.结果显示：电离层TEC周年变化幅度在南北半球中高纬度地区较大、赤道和低纬地区很小.半年变化的幅度在“远极地区”（远离地球南北地磁极点的东北亚和南美地区） 比“近极地区”（靠近地球南北地磁极点的北美和澳大利亚）大得多.进一步的统计显示，全球大部分地区TEC在春秋月份出现最大值，北半球近极地区最大值在冬季出现.南半球的南美和澳大利亚部分地区，最大值出现在夏季.同样，采用傅里叶方法分析了中性大气模式MSIS90计算的全球大气原子分子浓度比值（［O/N2］）的数据，发现在南北半球中高纬度地区，中性成分［O/N2］周年变化幅度较大且有明显的冬季异常现象，依据Rishbeth等提出的理论，我们认为大气成分［O/N2］可能对TEC周年变化的产生有重要作用，并且也是TEC在近极地区出现冬季异常现象的主要原因.TEC半年变化的全球分布特征形成的原因较复杂，我们初步分析可能是由于中性成分［O/N2］、太阳天顶角控制的电离层光化学产生率变化共同作用而产生的.     

A study on three-dimensional structures of the ionospheric dynamo currents induced by the neutral winds simulated by the Kyushu-GCM

Three-dimensional structures of the ionospheric dynamo currents are examined using the neutral winds in a general circulation model of the middle atmosphere at Kyushu University. A quasi-three-dimensional ionospheric dynamo model is constructed assuming an infinite parallel conductivity in the ionosphere. This model is able to simulate both the equatorial electrojet and the global Sq current system successfully. The simulated results reveal that the equatorial electrojet is confined in quite narrow latitudes around the equator accompanied with meridional current circulations and satisfies a non-divergent structure mainly within the E region. A vertically stratified double layered structure is seen in the east–west current density near the focus latitude of the global Sq current system. It is shown that the stratified structure mainly consists of the east–west Hall current associated with the eastward wind of zonal wavenumbers 1 and 2 in the lower altitudes and the westward wind of zonal wavenumber 2 in the upper altitudes. The day-to-day variation of the neutral winds can significantly vary the induced ionospheric dynamo current system, which is recognized as changes of the focus latitude and/or the maximum value of the equatorial electrojet.     

A study of GPS ionospheric scintillations observed at Guilin

The occurrence of strong ionospheric scintillations with S4≥0.2 was studied using global positioning system (GPS) measurements at Guilin (25.29°N, 110.33°E; geomagnetic: 15.04°N, 181.98°E), a station located near the northern crest of equatorial anomaly in China. The results are presented for data collected from January 2007 to December 2008. The results show that amplitude scintillations occurred only during the first five months of the considered years. Nighttime amplitude scintillations, observed mainly in the south of Guilin, always occurred with phase scintillations, total electron content (TEC) depletions, and Rate Of change of TEC (ROT) fluctuations. However, TEC depletions and ROT fluctuations were weak during daytime amplitude scintillations, and daytime amplitude scintillations usually occurred in most of the azimuth directions. GPS scintillation/TEC observations recorded at Guilin and signal-to-noise-ratio measurements obtained from GPS-COSMIC radio occultation indicate that nighttime and daytime scintillations are very likely caused by ionospheric F region irregularities and sporadic E, respectively.     

ZH-1卫星得到的中国及邻区顶部电离层背景特征

利用ZH-1(CSES)卫星LAP载荷原位电子密度数据对中国及邻区(0°—54°N,70°—140°E)的顶部电离层背景分布及随季节变化进行了详细分析,研究结果显示:(1)研究区赤道异常的纬度延伸范围、随经度分布形态及它们的季节变化,具有与其他研究结果一致的规律性.(2)中纬度区,白天电子密度存在一个低值带,夜间电子密度呈现高值带.昼夜对比结果显示夜间电子密度升高现象在研究区中纬以上所有季节都存在,但在向低纬延伸时与赤道异常现象呈互补分布,此强彼弱,反之亦然.(3)白天观测的电子密度,半年异常表现为随纬度升高,两峰值出现时间由春秋季向夏季演变,最终过渡到中纬只有夏季峰值的年变形态;季节异常仅在赤道附近4°范围内出现.夜间观测的电子密度,北纬22°以上、50°以下出现半年异常,22°以下出现季节异常.(4)月均值背景总体上表现为夜间电子密度较白天相对波动更剧烈;其中白天电子密度,分季、夏季较冬季波动更剧烈,赤道异常区较中纬区波动更剧烈;夜间电子密度,在所有时、空上波动水平大致相当.(5)研究区电离层背景时空变化特征较为复杂,数据波动亦随时空有变化,对电离层相关科学问题的研究需关注数据背景的分析.综合这些结果及与其他同期观测数据的比较结果,我们认为ZH-1卫星原位电子密度观测数据的相对变化与其他数据集一致.同时,研究区背景数据也呈现了以往研究中未被发现的特征.ZH-1卫星观测数据具有一致的地方时和观测地点,为电离层相关科学问题的系统性研究提供了一个很好的数据集.     

2015年3月磁暴期间中国中低纬地区电离层变化分析

2015年3月17日爆发了本太阳活动周最大的地磁暴,Dst指数达到-233 nT.本文利用电离层测高仪f_。F_2和h_mF_2、北斗同步卫星(BDSGEO)TEC以及GPS电离层闪烁S4指数对此次磁暴期间中国中低纬地区(北京、武汉、邵阳和三亚)的电离层变化进行分析,并对此次磁暴所引发电离层暴的可能机制进行了探讨.磁暴期间,中低纬电离层暴整体表现为正相暴之后长时间强的负相暴.3月17日白天中纬正相暴为风场抬升电离层所致,而驼峰区及低纬地区正相暴由东向穿透电场所引起;3月18日白天长时间的强负相暴为西向扰动发电机电场和成分扰动所引起;3月17和18日夜间的负相暴可能是日落东向电场受到抑制以及赤道向风场对扩散的抑制导致驼峰向赤道压缩所致,同时被抑制的日落东向电场强度不足以触发产生赤道扩展F,导致低纬三亚和邵阳夜间电离层闪烁在磁暴期间受到完全抑制.这是我们首次基于北斗同步卫星TEC组网观测开展的电离层暴研究.     

A comparison of TEC fluctuations and scintillations at Ascension Island

With increasing reliance on space-based platforms for global navigation and communication, concerns about the impact of ionospheric scintillation on these systems have become a high priority. Recently, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) performed amplitude scintillation measurements of L1 (1.575 MHz) signals from GPS satellites at Ascension Island (14.45° W, 7.95° S; magnetic latitude 16° S) during February–April, 1998, to compare amplitude scintillations with fluctuations of the total electron content (TEC). Ascension Island is located in the South Atlantic under the southern crest of the equatorial anomaly of F2 ionization where scintillations will be much enhanced during the upcoming solar maximum period. Ascension Island is included in the global network of the International GPS Service (IGS) and the GPS receivers in this network report the carrier to noise (C/N) ratio, the dual frequency carrier phase and pseudorange data at 30-s intervals. Such data with a sampling interval of 30 s were analyzed to determine TEC, the rate of change of TEC (ROT) and also ROTI, defined as the standard deviation of ROT. The spatial scale of ROTI, sampled at 30 s interval, will correspond to 6 km when the vector sum of the ionospheric projection of the satellite velocity and the irregularity drift orthogonal to the propagation path is of the order of 100 m/s. On the other hand, the scale-length of the amplitude scintillation index corresponds to the Fresnel dimension which is about 400 m for the GPS L1 frequency and an ionospheric height of 400 km. It is shown that, in view of the co-existence of large and small scale irregularities in equatorial irregularity structures, during the early evening hours, and small magnitude of irregularity drifts, ROTI measurements can be used to predict the presence of scintillation causing irregularities. The quantitative relationship between ROTI and S4, however, varies considerably due to variations of the ionospheric projection of the satellite velocity and the ionospheric irregularity drift. During the post-midnight period, due to the decay of small scale irregularities leading to a steepening of irregularity power spectrum, ROTI, on occasions, may not be associated with detectable levels of scintillation. In view of the power law type of irregularity power spectrum, ROTI will, in general, be larger than S4 and the ratio, ROTI/S4, in the present dataset is found to vary between 2 and 10. At high latitudes, where the ionospheric motion, driven by large electric fields of magnetospheric origin, is much enhanced during magnetically active periods, ROTI/S4 may be considerably larger than that in the equatorial region.     

Variability of the ionosphere

Hourly foF2 data from over 100 ionosonde stations during 1967–89 are examined to quantify F-region ionospheric variability, and to assess to what degree the observed variability may be attributed to various sources, i.e., solar ionizing flux, meteorological influences, and changing solar wind conditions. Our findings are as follows. Under quiet geomagnetic conditions (K_p<1), the 1-σ (σ is the standard deviation) variability of N_max about the mean is approx. ±25–35% at ‘high frequencies’ (periods of a few hours to 1–2 days) and approx. ±15–20% at ‘low frequencies’ (periods approx. 2–30 days), at all latitudes. These values provide a reasonable average estimate of ionospheric variability mainly due to “meteorological influences” at these frequencies. Changes in N_max due to variations in solar photon flux, are, on the average, small in comparison at these frequencies. Under quiet conditions for high-frequency oscillations, N_max is most variable at anomaly peak latitudes. This may reflect the sensitivity of anomaly peak densities to day-to-day variations in F-region winds and electric fields driven by the E-region wind dynamo. Ionospheric variability increases with magnetic activity at all latitudes and for both low and high frequency ranges, and the slopes of all curves increase with latitude. Thus, the responsiveness of the ionosphere to increased magnetic activity increases as one progresses from lower to higher latitudes. For the 25% most disturbed conditions (K_p>4), the average 1-σ variability of N_max about the mean ranges from approx. ±35% (equator) to approx. ±45% (anomaly peak) to approx. ±55% (high-latitudes) for high frequencies, and from approx. ±25% (equator) to approx. ±45% (high-latitudes) at low frequencies. Some estimates are also provided on N_max variability connected with annual, semiannual and 11-year solar cycle variations.     

对流层-平流层之间过渡层中臭氧含量及其加热率的变化研究

利用1958~2001年共44年的ECMWF资料及参数化方法,计算了对流层顶上、下3 km气层间的臭氧含量及其吸收太阳辐射加热率的时空分布.结果表明: (1) 臭氧分布的空间梯度从赤道指向两极,而加热率则是分别由高纬和低纬指向副热带,这样的经向梯度可能是驱动对流层顶结构变化的一种重要因素;两者空间分布的季节变化显著,但其对应关系并不完全一致,1月和4月的空间结构与7月和10月的相反,随季节调整具有突变现象;东亚及青藏高原是季节变化相对稳定的区域.(2) 在热带对流层顶控制区加热率与臭氧含量呈正相关,而极地对流层顶控制区各季节有所不同,还与太阳赤纬变化相关联;各纬度间加热率季节变化的位相和变率都存在差异,但南半球相对较为一致,最大距平为±2×10^-4 K·d^-1,北半球则较复杂,最大正距平为4×1010^-4 K·d^-1;两半球的季节周期位相趋于相反.(3) 除赤道外,臭氧距平的季节变化位相超前于加热率距平2~3月,并且发生在季节变化的调整期;最大距平出现在南极的8月大于0.4 DU,3~4月则小于-0.2 DU,而北极为±0.2 DU.(4) 臭氧含量和加热率的年际与年代际演变关系对应一致,并具有多尺度的结构特征;但两半球及赤道的时空演变差异明显,30° S~30° N间副热带控制区的加热率变幅剧烈,最大距平为±2.5×10^-4 K·d^-1,高纬和两极的变幅在不同演变期各不相同;臭氧的变幅结构与之相反,北极的最大距平分别大于0.25 DU和小于-0.35 DU.(5) 20世纪70年代以前及70年代中期,两半球的正负距平具有相反的演变结构,而90年代是负距平演变最剧烈的时期.     

Ionospheric slab thickness and its seasonal variations observed by GPS

The ionospheric slab thickness, the ratio of the total electron content (TEC) to the F2-layer peak electron density (NmF2), is closely related to the shape of the ionospheric electron density profile Ne (h) and the TEC. Therefore, the ionospheric slab thickness is a significant parameter representative of the ionosphere. In this paper, the continuous GPS observations in South Korea are firstly used to study the equivalent slab thickness (EST) and its seasonal variability. The averaged diurnal medians of December–January–February (DJF), March–April–May (MAM), June–July–August (JJA) and September–October–November (SON) in 2003 have been considered to represent the winter, spring, summer and autumn seasons, respectively. The results show that the systematic diurnal changes of TEC, NmF2 and EST significantly appeared in each season and the higher values of TEC and NmF2 are observed during the equinoxes (semiannual anomaly) as well as in the mid-daytime of each season. The EST is significantly smaller in winter than in summer, but with a consistent variation pattern. During 14–16 LT in daytime, the larger EST values are observed in spring and autumn, while the smaller ones are in summer and winter. The peaks of EST diurnal variation are around 10–18 LT which are probably caused by the action of the thermospheric wind and the plasmapheric flow into the F2-region.     

赤道异常的经度效应

比较赤道异常北峰北坡上磁纬靠近但经度不同台站的f₀F₂月中值的差别,比较中国东部电离层垂测站链与日本垂测站链的f₀F₂月中值的差别,可以研究东亚地区赤道异常随经度的变化.结果表明,冬季,赤道异常北峰在日本扇区的强度大于中国东部地区;反之,夏季赤道异常北峰在中国东部地区的强度大于日本扇区,并且两个扇区北峰结束的纬度冬天低于夏天.     

An intense SFE and SSC event in geomagnetic H, Y and Z fields at the Indian chain of observatories

Changes in the three components of geomagnetic field are reported at the chain of ten geomagnetic observatories in India during an intense solar crochet that occurred at 1311 h 75° EMT on 15 June 1991 and the subsequent sudden commencement (SSC) of geomagnetic storm at 1518h on 17 June 1991. The solar flare effects (SFE) registered on the magnetograms appear to be an augmentation of the ionospheric current system existing at the start time of the flare. An equatorial enhancement in AH due to SFE is observed to be similar in nature to the latitudinal variation of SQ (H) at low latitude. AF registered the largest effect at 3.6° dip latitude at the fringe region of the electrojet. AZ had positive amplitudes at the equatorial stations and negative at stations north of Hyderabad. The SSC amplitude in the H component is fairly constant with latitude, whereas the Z component again showed larger positive excursions at stations within the electrojet belt. These results are discussed in terms of possible currents of internal and external origin. The changes in the Y field strongly support the idea that meridional current at an equatorial electrojet station flows in the ionospheric dynamo, E.Presently at: School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia     

Region of permanent generation of large-scale irregularities in the daytime winter ionosphere of the Southern Hemisphere

With the use of data from topside sounding on board the Interkosmos-19 (IK-19) satellite, the region of permanent generation of large-scale irregularities in the daytime winter ionosphere of the Southern Hemisphere is differentiated. This region is characterized by low values of foF2 and hmF2 and occupies a rather large latitudinal band, from the equatorial anomaly ridge to ~70° S within the longitudinal range from 180° to 360°. Irregularities with a dimension of hundreds kilometers are regularly observed in the period from 0700–0800 to 1800–1900 LT, i.e., mainly in the daytime. In the IK-19 ionograms, they normally appear in the form of an extra trace with a critical frequency higher than that of the main trace reflected from the ionosphere with lower density. The electron density in the irregularity maximum sometimes exceeds the density of the background ionosphere by nearly a factor of 3. A model of the ionosphere with allowance for its irregular structure was created, and it was shown on the basis of trajectory calculations how the IK-19 ionograms related to these irregularities are formed. A possible mechanism of the generation of large-scale irregularities of the ionospheric plasma is discussed.