Changes in the ionospheric profile and the faraday factor with Kp |
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Authors: | Michael D Papagiannis Hassan Hajeb-Hosseinieh Michael Mendillo |
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Institution: | Department of Astronomy, Boston University, Boston, Mass. 02215, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | Using incoherent scatter data from Millstone Hill, we investigated the variations in the shape of the daytime, mid-latitude ionospheric electron density profile associated with changes in geomagnetic activity. The analysis performed was to deduce the dependence upon the 3-hr geomagnetic index Kp of h(Nm), h(0·7 Nm) above and below Nm, the plasma scale height HT in the range 500–1000 km, and the ratio . The electron density data used spanned the solar maximum years 1968–1971. Daytime data from the period 1000 to 1600 LT were averaged separately for summer, winter and spring-fall. It is shown that the mean value of the factor M = B cos θ sec χ used by Titheridge (1972) to relate the Faraday rotation from a geostationary satellite to the total electron content NN up to 2000 km is practically the same (to within 1–2 per cent) as the value used to relate the NT and values both computed up to 1000 km. Taking advantage of this identity, we have used the linear relationship obtained between the ionospheric parameters and Kp to deduce the height at which should be evaluated as a function of Kp. |
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