An observation-driven model of the equatorial ionosphere - DEOS rocket campaign study

Abstract

An ionosphere model for a single, low-latitude, magnetic meridion is driven with observation-determined drivers to produce electron density specifications containing day to day ionospheric weather. The drivers are vertical plasma velocity and cross-equator neutral wind. These are determined from ground-based ionosondes and magnetometers. Data from the DEOS German-Indian Rocket Campaign of 1998 in India is used to test the accuracy of the model ionosphere using data-determined drivers. The rocket campaign was supported by ground-based magnetometers and ionosondes. The ground-based observations are used to estimate the vertical plasma drift and cross equator neutral wind. The ionosphere model calculates the time history of the ionosphere from 35°N to 35°S using the observation-determined drivers. The resulting electron densities in the meridion are compared against the in situ observations of electron density from the DEOS rockets.