HR: 1330h
AN: SA23A-02    [Abstracts]
TI: GPS Occultation Measurements the Post-Sunset E-Region
AU: * Straus, P R
EM: paul.straus@aero.org
AF: The Aerospace Corporation, PO Box 92957, Los Angeles, CA 90009 United States
AU: Bishop, R
EM: rebecca.bishop@aero.org
AF: The Aerospace Corporation, PO Box 92957, Los Angeles, CA 90009 United States
AU: Crowley, G
EM: gcrowley@swri.edu
AF: Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78228 United States
AB: It has been conclusively shown that E-region conductivity is a key factor in the development of low-latitude dynamo electric fields and their effects on the ionosphere. One of the most striking features of the low latitude ionosphere is the pre-reversal enhancement of the vertical ion drifts. The associated uplift of the F-layer is connected with plasma instabilities that generate ionospheric irregularies that cause scintillation of radio signals. GPS occultation observations, which provide highly precise measures of limb total electron content, can be analyzed to provide a means of remotely sensing the E-region at the relatively low nightside densities that can be difficult to measure using traditional ground-based ionosondes. We report the results of initial statistical studies of E-region retrievals in the post-sunset time period using data from the Ionospheric Occultation Experiment (IOX) and the CHAMP GPS occultation sensor.
DE: 2415 Equatorial ionosphere
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly