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Ionospheric Response to the Solar Eclipse of 21 August 2017 in Millstone Hill (42N) Observations
Author(s) -
Goncharenko Larisa P.,
Erickson Philip J.,
Zhang ShunRong,
Galkin Ivan,
Coster Anthea J.,
Jonah Olusegun F.
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1029/2018gl077334
Subject(s) - millstone hill , solar eclipse , ionosphere , incoherent scatter , electron density , eclipse , geology , atmospheric sciences , f region , middle latitudes , tec , solar maximum , geophysics , physics , electron , astronomy , coronal mass ejection , plasma , solar wind , quantum mechanics
This study examines the ionospheric changes associated with the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. The effects associated with the passage of the eclipse shadow were observed more than 1,000 km away from the totality at midlatitudes using the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar and digisonde. There was a 30–40% decrease in electron density, a 100‐ to 220‐K decrease in electron temperature, and a 50‐ to 140‐K decrease in ion temperature. Surprisingly, the greatest decrease in electron density occurred above 200 km. The most unexpected effect was a large 20‐ to 40‐m/s upward vertical drift observed in the topside ionosphere right after the local maximum obscuration. We suggest that this drift led to a posteclipse increase in the topside electron density.