Analysis of daytime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances by two-dimensional maps of total electron content perturbation and ionograms

R.O. Sherstyukov^*, A.D. Akchurin^**

Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420008 Russia

E-mail: ^* sher-ksu@mail.ru, ^** Adel.Akchurin@kpfu.ru

Received April 12, 2017

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Abstract

To analyze midlatitude medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs), the sufficiently dense network of GNSS receivers (more than 150 ground-based stations) have been used. For the first time, daytime MSTIDs in the form of their main signature (band structure) on high-resolution two-dimensional maps of the total electron content perturbation (TEC maps) have been compared with ionosonde data with a high temporal resolution. For a pair of events, a relationship between southwestward TEC perturbations and evolution of F₂ layer traces has been established. So, F₂ peak frequency varied in antiphase to TEC perturbations. The ionograms show that during the moving of plasma depletion band (overhead ionosonde) the F₂ peak frequency is the highest, and vice versa, for the plasma enhancement band, the F₂ peak frequency is the lowest. One possible explanation may be a greater inclination of the radio beam from the vertical during the placement of a plasma enhancement band above the ionosonde, as evidenced by the absence of multiple reflections and the increased occurrence rate of extra cusp trace. Another possible explanation may be the redistribution of the electron content in the topside ionosphere with a small decrease in the F peak concentration of the layer with a small increase in TEC along the line-of-sight. The analysis of F₂ peak frequency variation has shown that the observed values of TEC perturbations equal to 0.4 and 0.8 TECU correspond to the values of ΔN/N equal to 10% and 25%. The need for further research is evident.

Keywords: ionosphere, medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances, perturbations of ionospheric plasma, F₂ layer, two-dimensional maps of total electron content perturbation, ionosonde, GPS/GLONASS

Acknowledgments. This study was supported by the subsidy allocated to Kazan Federal University for the state assignment in the area of scientific activities (project no. 3.7400.2017/8.9) and by the the Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University.

Figure Captions

Fig. 1. Location of GPS/GLONASS receivers and ionosonde. Black dots represent the location of the GPS/GLONASS receivers. The red star represents the location of the ionosonde.

Fig. 2. Two-dimensional TEC perturbation maps in the right side of the figure and ionograms in the left side of the figure, September 21, 2016. White lines in the ionograms show  F₂ peak frequency. The red star on the TEC map represents the location of the ionosonde, the solid lines represent the wavefronts of band structures.

Fig. 3. Two-dimensional TEC perturbation maps in the right side of the figure and ionograms in the left side of the figure, February 11, 2017. White lines in the ionograms show F₂ peak frequency. The red star on the TEC map represents the location of the ionosonde, the solid lines represent the wavefronts of band structures.

Fig. 4. The ionograms with hook signatures. The hook signatures are circled by the white quadrates.

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For citation: Sherstyukov R.O., Akchurin A.D. Analysis of daytime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances by two-dimensional maps of total electron content perturbation and ionograms. Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Fiziko-Matematicheskie Nauki, 2017, vol. 159, no. 2, pp. 374–389. (In Russian)

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