Connection between the Amplitude Variations of the GPS Radio Occultation Signals and Solar Activity

The classification of the effect of ionospheric disturbances on the radio occultation signal amplitude has been introduced based on an analysis of more than 2000 seances of radio occultation measurements per formed with the help of the CHAMP German satellite. The dependence of the histograms of variations in the radio occultation signal amplitude on the IMF variation index has been revealed. It has been indicated that it is possible to introduce the radio occultation index characterizing the relation between ionospheric disturbances and solar activity. An amplitude radio occultation (RO) method is proposed to study connection between the ionospheric and solar activity on a global scale. Sporadic amplitude scintillation observed in RO experiments contain important information concerning the seasonal, geographical, and temporal distributions of the ionospheric disturbances and depend on solar activity. The probability of strong RO amplitude variations (RO $S_4$ index greater than 0.2) in the CHAMP RO signals diminishes sharply with the weakening of solar activity from 2001 to 2008. The general number of RO events with strong amplitude variations can be used as an indicator of the ionospheric activity. We found that during 2001-2008 the daily globally averaged RO $S_{4a}$ index depends essentially on solar activity. The maximum occurred in January 2002, minimum has been observed in summer 2008. Different temporal behavoir of $S_{4a}$ index has been detected for polar (with latitude greater than $60^{\circ}$) and low latitude (moderate and equatorial) regions. For polar regions $S_{4a}$ index is slowly decreasing with solar activity. In the low latitude areas $S_{4a}$ index is sharply oscillating, depending on the solar ultraviolet emission variations. The different geographical behavoir of $S_{4a}$ index indicates different origin of ionospheric plasma disturbances in polar and low latitude areas. Origin of the plasma disturbances in the polar areas may be connected with influence of solar wind, the ultraviolet emission of the Sun may be the main cause of the ionospheric irregularities in the low latitude zone. Therefore, the $S_{4a}$ index of RO signal is important radio physical indicator of solar activity.