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The travelling bifurcation of the equatorial F 2 layer
Author(s) -
Huang Chunming
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs010i005p00507
Subject(s) - bifurcation , noon , daytime , ionosphere , physics , equator , mathematics , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , geometry , geology , nonlinear system , geodesy , geophysics , latitude , quantum mechanics
That the F 2 layer is bifurcated into two sublayers and that this structure travels poleward has been revealed by previous computations published by the author. Examination of vertical sounding data shows that such a travelling bifurcation occurs mainly near noon in the seasons other than June solstitial months during years of high solar activity. It is found that the formation of bifurcation is principally due to the combined effect of the upward drift, which changes from increasing to decreasing at 1000 LT, and the slow diffusion. The effects of other parameters on the bifurcation and ionospheric characteristics and the cause of the bifurcation which occurs at sunrise are also studied. The continuity equation of electron density is then solved with appropriate values of ionospheric parameters suggested from the above study. The computed f 0 F 2 at the equator during daytime is a very good reproduction of the observed one, and does not show any bifurcation as usually observed. The causes of agreement or disagreement between the computed and the observed values of critical frequency and height of layer peak are discussed.