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Satellite measurements of ionic concentrations applied to low altitude incoherent scatter interpretations
Author(s) -
Torr M. R.,
Harper R.
Publication year - 1977
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/rs012i003p00461
Subject(s) - incoherent scatter , ionosphere , zenith , solar zenith angle , satellite , radar , altitude (triangle) , ionospheric sounding , electron density , computational physics , atmosphere (unit) , physics , atmospheric sciences , remote sensing , environmental science , electron , meteorology , geology , optics , geophysics , astronomy , mathematics , computer science , telecommunications , geometry , quantum mechanics
The determination of ion and electron temperatures and electron density from incoherent scatter radar data has in the past involved assumptions concerning the ionospheric composition below 250 km. Using a very large data base of measurements of O + , O 2 + , NO + , and N 2 + made by the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite, we have produced a model of the ionic concentration between 130 and 300 km as a function of solar zenith angle. The results of applying this information to the interpretation of the radar observations are compared with those of earlier treatments of the same data. As the effect of the new model is to increase the radar determinations of the temperature, this may explain previous discrepancies between Langmuir probe and incoherent scatter temperatures, where the comparisons have been made at these low altitudes.