LONGITUDINAL VARIATION OF THE ANNUAL AND HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRIES OF THE LOW-MIDDLE LATITUDE IONOSPHERE
Abstract
The longitudinal variation of the annual and hemispheric asymmetries in the low-middle latitude ionosphere at the altitude of 400 km during solar cycle 23 is examined by analyzing the F-region plasma density observations from the CHAMP satellite. The longitudinal variability of the ionospheric asymmetries has not yet been investigated on the global scale by using satellite data. In addition to the characterization of the ionospheric asymmetries, our study extends to the investigation of the causes of the annual and hemispheric asymmetries. The two major sources of the asymmetries are the seasonal and hemispheric variations of the neutral composition and meridional winds. The effect of the neutral composition on the asymmetries will be investigated by analyzing the neutral mass density data from CHAMP and the O/N2 ratio data from TIMED/GUVI. The effect of meridional winds on the asymmetries will be investigated by analyzing the ROCSAT-1 meridional ion velocity data as a proxy of the meridional neutral wind.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFMSA41B..03K
- Keywords:
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- 2427 IONOSPHERE / Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- 2437 IONOSPHERE / Ionospheric dynamics