Open AccessDaytime midlatitude D region parameters at solar minimum from short‐path VLF phase and amplitude
Author(s) -
Thomson Neil R.,
Clilverd Mark A.,
Rodger Craig J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2010ja016248
Subject(s) - ionosphere , earth's magnetic field , amplitude , geomagnetic latitude , daytime , middle latitudes , geology , f region , physics , latitude , geophysics , geodesy , atmospheric sciences , magnetic field , optics , quantum mechanics
Observed phases and amplitudes of VLF radio signals propagating on a short (∼360 km) path are used to find improved parameters for the lowest edge of the ( D region of the) Earth's ionosphere at a geomagnetic latitude of ∼53.5° in midsummer near solar minimum. The phases, relative to GPS 1 s pulses, and the amplitudes were measured both near (∼110 km from) the transmitter, where the direct ground wave is very dominant, and at distances of ∼360 km near where the ionospherically reflected waves form a (modal) minimum with the (direct) ground wave. The signals came from the 24.0 kHz transmitter, NAA, on the coast of Maine near the U.S.‐Canada border, propagating ∼360 km E‐NE, mainly over the sea, to Saint John and Prince Edward Island. The bottom edge of the midday, midsummer, ionosphere at ∼53.5° geomagnetic latitude was thus found to be well modeled by H ′ = 71.8 ± 0.6 km and β = 0.335 ± 0.025 km −1 where H ′ and β are Wait's traditional height and sharpness parameters used by the U.S. Navy in their Earth‐ionosphere VLF radio waveguide programs. The variation of β with latitude is also estimated with the aid of interpolation using measured galactic cosmic ray fluxes.