On the ionospheric electron content over the Indian sub-continent
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Rastogi, R. G..
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Amplitude scintillations at 40, 140, and 360 MHz recorded at an equatorial station Ootacamund (dip 4 deg N) during the ATS-6 phase II and the ionograms at a nearby station Kodaikanal (dip 3.5 deg N) are examined for the scintillation activity. Various sporadic E events, but not the Es-q, are associated with intense daytime scintillations. There are no scintillations at times of normal E-layer or cusp type of Es. Scintillations are also present at times of night Es.
Large and quick changes of the latitude of the interplanetary magnetic field from its southward to northward direction are shown to be associated with the disappearance of the Es-q layer (Knecht, 1959) at the equatorial ionosphere during the daytime or with the reversal of E region horizontal and F region vertical electron drifts during both night and day. This phenomenon is suggested as the imposition of an electric field in the ionosphere in a direction opposite to that of the Sq electric field. The resultant electrostatic field on the equatorial ionosphere would be decreased or even reversed from its normal direction, resulting in the reduction of electron drift velocity. When the normal Sq field is over-compensated by the magnetospheric electric field, the electron drifts are reversed and the irregularities in the E region due to the cross-field instabilities are inhibited, resulting in the sudden disappearance of the Es-q layers.
The phenomenon of the depression of the geomagnetic horizontal field during the daytime hours of magnetically quiet days at equatorial stations is described. These events are generally seen around 0700 and 1600 LT, being more frequent during the evening than the morning hours. The evening events are more frequent during periods of low solar activity and in the longitude region of weak equatorial electrojet currents. The latitudinal extent of the phenomenon is limited to the normal equatorial electrojet region, and on some occasions the phenomenon is not seen at both stations, separated by only a few hours in longitude. During such an event, the latitudinal profile of the geomagnetic vertical field across the equator is reversed, the ionospheric drift near the equator is reversed toward the east, the q type of sporadic E layer is completely absent, and the height of the peak ionization in the F2 region is decreased. It is suggested that these effects are caused by a narrow band of current flowing westward in the E region of the ionosphere and within the latitude region of the normal equatorial electrojet, due to the reversal of the east-west electrostatic field at low latitudes.