Midlatitude ionospheric D region: Height, sharpness, and sol

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TitleMidlatitude ionospheric D region: Height, sharpness, and solar zenith angleAbstractVLF radio amplitude and phase measurements are used to find the height and sharpness of the D region of the ionosphere at a mid to high geomagnetic dip latitude of ~52.5°. The two paths used are both from the 23.4 kHz transmitter, DHO, in north Germany with the first path being northward and mainly over the sea along the west coast of Denmark over a range of ~320–425 km, and the second, also mainly all‐sea, to a single fixed recording receiver at Eskdalemuir in Scotland (~750 km). From plots of the measured amplitudes and phases versus distance for the first of these paths compared with calculations using the U.S. Navy code, ModeFinder, the Wait height and sharpness parameters of the D region at midday in summer 2015 are found to be H′ = 72.8 ± 0.2 km and β = 0.345 ± 0.015 km−1 at a solar zenith angle ~33°. From phase and amplitude measurements at other times of day on the second path, the daytime changes in H′ and β as functions of solar zenith angle are determined from shortly after dawn to shortly before dusk. Comparisons are also made between the modal ModeFinder calculations and wave hop calculations, with both giving similar results. The parameters found here should be useful in understanding energy inputs to the D region from the radiation belts, solar flares, or transient luminous events. The midday values may be sufficiently precise to be useful for monitoring climate change. ©2017. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

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1st AuthorThomson, N. AuthorThomson, N.Clilverd, M.Rodger, C.Year2017JournalJournal of Geophysical Research: Space PhysicsVolume122Number8Pages8933-8946DOI10.1002/2017JA024455URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/recor.....d314eb05b0f5d0e2e4b3f4475PublisherBlackwell Publishing LtdAuthor Keywordsdaytime D-region electron densityEarth-ionosphere waveguide heightmidlatitude D-region height and sharpnesssolar zenith angleVLF propagation

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CitationThomson, N., Clilverd, M. and Rodger, C. (2017). Midlatitude ionospheric D region: Height, sharpness, and solar zenith angle. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 122(8): 8933-8946Antarctica NZ supported?YesNZARI?No