Regional representation of F2 Chapman parameters based on electron density profiles
Regional representation of F2 Chapman parameters based on electron density profiles
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DOI：
10.5194/angeo-31-2215-2013
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发表时间：
2013-01-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Hugentobler, U.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Limberger, M.;Liang, W.;Hugentobler, U.
了解电离层内的物理过程是改进和扩展电离层建模方法的关键要求。确定有意义的参数来描述电离层电子密度的垂直分布以及太阳活动对这些参数的影响是电离层研究中的一个重要课题。在这方面，电离层的F2层起着关键作用，因为它包含最高浓度的电子和离子。在这方面的贡献，最大的电子密度NmF 2，峰高hmF 2和规模的高度HF 2的F2层的确定通过采用一个模型的方法实现的端点插值多项式B样条与一个适应的物理动机查普曼层的组合区域应用程序。为此目的，成功地利用了FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC、GRACE和CHAMP卫星飞行任务电离层GPS无线电掩星测量得出的电子密度分布。与全球导航卫星系统常用的综合总电子含量不同，剖面图包含离散点的电子密度观测结果，因此对获得垂直电子密度结构的所需信息高度敏感。剖面的时空可用性确实相当稀少，但模型方法满足了所有要求，联合收割机的观测技术，涉及相互支持的测量精度，灵敏度和数据分辨率。为了进行模型初始化和弥补观测差距，采用了《2007年国际参考电离层》。通过模拟和选定的真实的数据方案的验证表明，该模型方法具有显着的潜力和能力，产生可靠的结果。
Understanding the physical processes within the ionosphere is a key requirement to improve and extend ionospheric modeling approaches. The determination of meaningful parameters to describe the vertical electron density distribution and how they are influenced by the solar activity is an important topic in ionospheric research. In this regard, the F2 layer of the ionosphere plays a key role as it contains the highest concentration of electrons and ions. In this contribution, the maximum electron density NmF2, peak height hmF2 and scale height HF2 of the F2 layer are determined by employing a model approach for regional applications realized by the combination of endpoint-interpolating polynomial B splines with an adapted physics-motivated Chapman layer. For this purpose, electron density profiles derived from ionospheric GPS radio occultation measurements of the satellite missions FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC, GRACE and CHAMP have been successfully exploited. Profiles contain electron density observations at discrete spots, in contrast to the commonly used integrated total electron content from GNSS, and therefore are highly sensitive to obtaining the required information of the vertical electron density structure. The spatio-temporal availability of profiles is indeed rather sparse, but the model approach meets all requirements to combine observation techniques implicating the mutual support of the measurements concerning accuracy, sensitivity and data resolution. For the model initialization and to bridge observation gaps, the International Reference Ionosphere 2007 is applied. Validations by means of simulations and selected real data scenarios show that this model approach has significant potential and the ability to yield reliable results.