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SAMI3 prediction of the impact of the 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse on the ionosphere/plasmasphere system
Author(s) -
Huba J. D.,
Drob D.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2017gl073549
Subject(s) - tec , plasmasphere , ionosphere , total electron content , solar eclipse , eclipse , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , geology , geophysics , physics , plasma , astronomy , magnetosphere , quantum mechanics
We present quantitative predictions of the impact of the upcoming total solar eclipse on the ionosphere and plasmasphere using the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) model Sami3 is Also a Model of the Ionosphere (SAMI3). The eclipse will occur over the continental United States on 21 August 2017. Our simulation results indicate that in the vicinity of the eclipse (1) the total electron content (TEC) decreases by up to ∼ 5 TEC units (TECU; 1 TECU = ×10 16 m −2 ) which is a ∼ 35% decrease in TEC, (2) the electron density decreases by a factor of ∼ 50% in the F region, (3) the electron temperature decreases by up to ∼800 K in the plasmasphere, and (4) the O + velocity changes from ∼40 m s −1 upward to ∼20 m s −1 downward in the F region. Interestingly, the continental size modification of the ionospheric conductance modifies the global electric field, which should lead to measurable changes in the TEC in the southern conjugate hemisphere ( ≲ 1 TECU).