Modelling of the electron density height profiles in the mid-latitude ionospheric D-region

Abstract

A new mid-latitude D-region (50-105 km) model of the electron density is presented obtained on the basis of a full wave theory and by a trial-and-error inversion method. Daytime (at different solar zenith angles) absorption measurements by A3-technique made in Bulgaria yielded data with the aid of which the seasonal and diurnal courses of the Ne(h)-profiles were derived. Special attention is drawn to the event diurnal asymmetry, or uneven formation of the ionosphere as a function of insulation. The latter is probably connected with the influence of the diurnal fluctuations in the local temperature on the chemistry involved in the electron loss rate, as well as the diurnal variations of the main ionizing agent (NO) in the D-region. That is why the Ne(f)-profiles in the midlatitude D-region are modelled separately for morning and afternoon hours.