Date of Award
6-2004
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Applied Physics
Department
Department of Engineering Physics
First Advisor
Devin J. Della-Rose, PhD
Abstract
Ionospheric disturbances can severely impact Department of Defense (DoD) systems, such as radar. satellite. and navigation technologies. Forecasting disturbances and describing the Earth's ionosphere, in turn, relies upon innovative computer-based models that gather input parameters from ground and space-borne observations and empirical models for ionospheric drivers. Equatorial E x B drift velocities are significant input parameters that go into many ionospheric models, because they help describe vertical plasma motions near the magnetic equator. Previous work by Anderson, et al 2002 has demonstrated the ability to derive Peruvian longitude sector, daytime vertical E x B drifts from ground-based magnetometer data. The present research extends these results to the Philippines using 56 days of magnetometer data from two stations in 2002. For each day of magnetometer data, corresponding Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) 1356A airglow emission data from the evening equatorial anomaly were used to estimate the average E x B drift velocities Anderson, private communication, 2003. These drift values were then compared statistically to the horizontal component of the Philippine magnetometer data for all 56 days. In this process, data were grouped according to F1O.7 values. Overall, the best regression relation resulted from the ascending, April 2002 sample of 13 days of data (correlation coefficient of 0.63). Previous research does not conclusively predict how our Apri1 2002 Philippine slope should compare against the corresponding Peruvian result. Specifically. Richmond 1973 predicts the two slopes should be approximately equal. However, Forbes 1981 suggests the Philippine regression slope should be 30 percent smaller than the corresponding Peruvian slope.
AFIT Designator
AFIT-GAP-ENP-04-04
DTIC Accession Number
ADA426826
Recommended Citation
Kinkela, Shauna M., "Estimating Equatorial F-Region Daytime Vertical E X B Drift Velocities from Ground-Based Magnetometer Measurements in the Philippine Longitude Sector" (2004). Theses and Dissertations. 3946.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/3946