IONOSPHERIC ELECTRON DENSITY PROFILE MODEL
- 1 July 1970
- report
- Published by Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)
Abstract
The paper describes a project undertaken by 4th Weather Wing to produce a realistic electron density profile based upon parameters which can be forecast with reasonable accuracy. The ionospheric electron density profile model presented in this paper consists of the sum of three Chapman layers (E, F1, F2). Electron densities in the topside ionosphere are controlled by complex motions rather than a production-loss balance and cannot be successfully described strictly by a Chapman layer. After some experimentation a best fit was obtained by simply using the Chapman equation for the topside ionosphere, but computing the electron densities by using a variable scale height throughout the region. The program described in this report has been used routinely for eight months to predict profiles for radar refraction. This report should be considered interim as improvements in accuracy are sure to be required as the model is evaluated for different purposes.Keywords
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