Chinese Journal of Polar Research

Chinese Journal of Polar Research ›› 2020, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (4): 494-503.DOI: 10. 13679/j.jdyj.20200064

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The characteristics of the polar ionosphere in the geomagnetic coordinates system

Wu Yewen1, Liu Ruiyuan2, Zhang Beichen2, Hu Hongqiao2, Ci Ying3,Jiang Mingbo4, Lv Jianyong1   

  1. 1.Institute of Space Weather, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China;
    2.SOA Key Laboratory for Polar Science, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200136, China;
    3.Beijing Institute of Tracking and Communication Technology, Beijing 100089, China;
    4.Beijing Institute of Applied Meteorology, Beijing 100000, China
  • Received:2020-09-15 Revised:2020-09-25 Online:2020-12-30 Published:2020-12-24
  • Contact: Wu Yewen

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Abstract:

The mean Polar Electron Content (mPEC) over the low solar activity years 2007–2010 in Corrected Geomagnetic Latitude and Magnetic Local Time Coordinates (CGLMLT) is calculated to investigate the Universal Time (UT) variations of the polar ionosphere based on the observation of Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate satellite (COSMIC). The results show clear UT variations on mPEC both in the Arctic and Antarctic when seen in the geomagnetic coordinate system. The UT variation of the mPEC changed in a sinusoidal way, with the phase difference about 12 hours between the Arctic and Antarctica. In addition, the UT variation is about 2~3 times larger in the Antarctic than in the Arctic. These features should result from the separation between the geographic pole and the geomagnetic pole. Actually in geographic coordinate system, the UT variation of the mPEC is rather small. The reason should be that the UT variations of mPEC come from solar radiation as well as horizontal transportation in geomagnetic coordinates but only horizontal transportation in geographic coordinate systems.

Key words:

"> polar ionosphere, total electron content, universal time variations, horizontal transportation