Estimation of topside electron density profile using on-orbit measured GPS and electron density data.

Abstract:

The topside ionophere have lacks of information about plasma, but it is important for human beings and scientific applicaiton. We establish an estimation method for electron density profile using Langmuir Probe and GPS data of CHAMP satellite and have comparision the method results with other satellites measurements. In order to develop the model, hydrostatic mapping function, vertical scale height, and vertical TEC(Total Electron Contents) are used for calculations. The electron density and GPS data with hydrostatic mapping function give the vertical TEC and after some algebra using exponential model of density profile give the vertical scale height of ionosphere. The scale height have about 10^2~10^3 km order of magnitude so it can be used exponential model again since the altitude of CHAMP. Therefore, apply the scale height to exponoential model we can get the topside electron density profile. The result of the density profile model can be compared with other satellite data as STSAT-1, ROCSAT, DMSP which is measured the electron density in similar Local Time, Latitude, Longitude but above the CHAMP. This comparison shows the method is accecptable and it can be applied to other reseach for topside ionosphere.