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Short‐period solar cycle signals in the ionosphere observed by FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC
Author(s) -
Liang MaoChang,
Li KingFai,
Shia RunLie,
Yung Yuk L.
Publication year - 2008
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 - 10.1029/2008gl034433
Subject(s) - ionosphere , solar cycle , radio occultation , cosmic cancer database , atmospheric sciences , physics , solar minimum , electron density , latitude , amplitude , altitude (triangle) , solar maximum , environmental science , astronomy , electron , plasma , solar wind , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
We analyze 2 years of the FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC GPS radio occultation data to study the response of the Earth's ionosphere to the solar rotation (27‐day) induced solar flux variations. Here we report electron density variations in the ionosphere (∼100–500 km) associated with the 27‐day solar cycle. The peak‐to‐peak variation in electron density at low latitudes in the F2 region is about ∼10 4 –10 5 electrons cm −3 or 20–40%, and can be as high as 60% depending on altitude, latitude, and season. The half and double periods of the 27‐day are also observed at an amplitude comparable to that of the 27‐day. The results place useful constraints for modeling chemical and dynamical processes in the ionosphere.