• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.223-230
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• 2013

Sudden enhancements of daytime NmF2 appeared in Anyang ionosonde data during summer seasons in 2006-2007. In order to investigate the causes of this unusual enhancement, we compared Anyang NmF2's with the total electron contents (GPS TECs) observed at Daejeon, and also with ionosonde data at at mid-latitude stations. First, we found no similar increase in Daejeon GPS TEC when the sudden enhancements of Anyang NmF2 occurred. Second, we investigated NmF2's observed at other ionosonde stations that use the same ionosonde model and auto-scaling program as the Anyang ionosonde. We found similar enhancements of NmF2 at these ionosonde stations. Moreover, the analysis of ionograms from Athens and Rome showed that there were sporadic-E layers with high electron density during the enhancements in NmF2. The auto-scaling program (ARTIST 4.5) used seems to recognize sporadic-E layer echoes as a F2 layer trace, resulting in the erroneous critical frequency of F2 layer (foF2). Other versions of the ARTIST scaling program also seem to produce similar erroneous results. Therefore we conclude that the sudden enhancements of NmF2 in Anyang data were due to the misrecognition of sporadic-E echoes as a F-layer by the auto-scaling program. We also noticed that although the scaling program flagged confidence level (C-level) of an ionogram as uncertain when a sporadic-E layer occurs, it still automatically computed erroneous foF2's. Therefore one should check the confidence level before using long term ionosonde data that were produced by an auto-scaling program.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.137-140
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• 2015

The results of the study of ionospheric variations in the summer months of 1998-2002 at an ionospheric station of vertical sounding "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" are presented. Anomalous variations of virtual sporadic-E height (h'Es), Es blanketing frequency (fbEs), and the critical frequency of the ionospheric F2 layer (foF2) (which can be attributed to the possible earthquake precursors) are selected. The high efficiency of the selection of ionospheric earthquake precursors based on the several parameters of Es and F2 layers is shown. The empirical dependence, which reflects the connection between the lead-time of the earthquake moment, the distance to the epicenter from the observation point, and the magnitude of the earthquake are obtained. This empirical dependence is consistent with the results of the detection of earthquake precursors by measuring the physical parameters of the Earth's crust in the same region.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.61-68
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• 2019

We have investigated the variations of sporadic E (Es) layer using the measurements of digisondes at Icheon ($37.14^{\circ}N$, $127.54^{\circ}E$, IC) and Jeju ($33.4^{\circ}N$, $126.30^{\circ}E$, JJ) in 2011-2018. The Es occurrence rate and its critical frequency (foEs) have peak values in summer at both IC and JJ in consistent with their known seasonal variations at mid-latitudes. The virtual height of the Es layer (h'Es) during equinox months is greater than that in other months. It may be related to the similar variation of meteor peak heights. The h'Es shows the semidiurnal variations with two peaks at early in the morning and late in the afternoon during equinoxes and summer. However, the semi-diurnal variation is not obvious in winter. The semi-diurnal variation is generally thought to be caused by the semi-diurnal tidal variation in the neutral wind shear, whose measurements, however, are rare and not available in the region of interest. To investigate the formation mechanism of Es, we have derived the vertical ion drift velocity using the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM) 14, International Geomagnetic Reference Field, and Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter Radar-00 models. Our results show that h'Es preferentially occur at the altitudes where the direction of the vertical ion velocity changes. This result indicates the significant role of ion convergence in the creation of Es.

• 천문학논총
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• 제15권spc2호
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• pp.21-25
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• 2000

The ionosphere, the atmosphere of the earth ionized by solar radiations, has been strongly varied with solar activity. The ionosphere varies with the solar cycle, the seasons, the latitudes and during any given day. Radio wave propagation through or in the ionosphere is affected by ionospheric condition so that one needs to consider its effects on operating communication systems normally. For examples, sporadic E may form at any time. It occurs at altitudes between 90 to 140 km (in the E region), and may be spread over a large area or be confined to a small region. Sometimes the sporadic E layer works as a mirror so that the communication signal does not reach the receiver. And radiation from the Sun during large solar flares causes increased ionization in the D region which results in greater absorption of HF radio waves. This phenomenon is called short wave fade-outs. If the flare is large enough, the whole of the HF spectrum can be rendered unusable for a period of time. Due to events on the Sun, sometimes the Earth's magnetic field becomes disturbed. The geomagnetic field and the ionosphere are linked in complex ways and a disturbance in the geomagnetic field can often cause a disturbance in the F region of the ionosphere. An enhancement will not usually concern the HF communicator, but the depression may cause frequencies normally used for communication to be too high with the result that the wave penetrates the ionosphere. Ionospheric storms can occur throughout the solar cycle and are related to coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and coronal holes on the Sun. Except the above mentioned phenomena, there are a lot of things to affect the radio communication. Nowadays, radio technique for probing the terrestrial ionosphere has a tendency to use satellite system such as GPS. To get more accurate information about the variation of the ionospheric electron density, a TEC measurement system is necessary so RRL will operate the system in the near future.

• 우주기술과 응용
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.153-168
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• 2024

사운딩 로켓은 저렴한 비용과 빠른 개발 기간을 통해 전리권이나 무중력 환경을 직접 탐사하는 유용한 도구이다. 이러한 로켓은 목표 고도에 신속하게 도달하며, 다양한 과학적 장비를 탑재하여 데이터를 실시간으로 수집할 수 있다. 페리지에어로스페이스(주)는 2024년 상반기에 첫 시험 발사를 진행한 뒤, 2025년 1월경에는 2차 성능시험 사운딩 로켓을 발사할 예정이다. 이 로켓은 제주 해상에서 발사될 예정이며, 약 150 km의 목표 고도에 총 30 kg의 탑재체를 싣고, 준궤도 영역에서 다양한 실험을 수행할 것이다. 특히, 중위도 지역의 전리권에서는 간헐적으로 전자 밀도가 증가하는 스포라딕 E층과 적도 전기제트에 의한 자기장의 미세변화를 관측할 수 있을 것으로 예상된다. 이러한 관측을 위해 KAIST 인공위성연구소에서 개발 중인 탑재체 IAMMAP(ionospheric anomaly monitoring by magnetometer and plasma-probe)의 사운딩 로켓 버전이 발사체에 실릴 예정이다. 본 연구는 중위도 지역의 전리권에 대해서 이해하고, 2차 성능시험에서의 관측 가능한 임무 설계에 중점을 두고자 한다.