Ionospheric Response to the Solar Eclipse of 21 August 2017 in Millstone Hill (42N) Observations

Larisa P. Goncharenko; Philip J. Erickson; Shun Rong Zhang; Ivan Galkin; Anthea J. Coster; Olusegun F. Jonah

doi:10.1029/2018GL077334

Ionospheric Response to the Solar Eclipse of 21 August 2017 in Millstone Hill (42N) Observations

Larisa P. Goncharenko, Philip J. Erickson, Shun Rong Zhang, Ivan Galkin, Anthea J. Coster, Olusegun F. Jonah

Faculty of Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examines the ionospheric changes associated with the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. The effects associated with the passage of the eclipse shadow were observed more than 1,000 km away from the totality at midlatitudes using the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar and digisonde. There was a 30–40% decrease in electron density, a 100- to 220-K decrease in electron temperature, and a 50- to 140-K decrease in ion temperature. Surprisingly, the greatest decrease in electron density occurred above 200 km. The most unexpected effect was a large 20- to 40-m/s upward vertical drift observed in the topside ionosphere right after the local maximum obscuration. We suggest that this drift led to a posteclipse increase in the topside electron density.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4601-4609
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	45
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077334
Publication status	Published - May 28 2018

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Geophysics
Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

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10.1029/2018GL077334

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title = "Ionospheric Response to the Solar Eclipse of 21 August 2017 in Millstone Hill (42N) Observations",

abstract = "This study examines the ionospheric changes associated with the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. The effects associated with the passage of the eclipse shadow were observed more than 1,000 km away from the totality at midlatitudes using the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar and digisonde. There was a 30–40% decrease in electron density, a 100- to 220-K decrease in electron temperature, and a 50- to 140-K decrease in ion temperature. Surprisingly, the greatest decrease in electron density occurred above 200 km. The most unexpected effect was a large 20- to 40-m/s upward vertical drift observed in the topside ionosphere right after the local maximum obscuration. We suggest that this drift led to a posteclipse increase in the topside electron density.",

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T1 - Ionospheric Response to the Solar Eclipse of 21 August 2017 in Millstone Hill (42N) Observations

AU - Goncharenko, Larisa P.

AU - Erickson, Philip J.

AU - Zhang, Shun Rong

AU - Galkin, Ivan

AU - Coster, Anthea J.

AU - Jonah, Olusegun F.

PY - 2018/5/28

Y1 - 2018/5/28

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AB - This study examines the ionospheric changes associated with the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. The effects associated with the passage of the eclipse shadow were observed more than 1,000 km away from the totality at midlatitudes using the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar and digisonde. There was a 30–40% decrease in electron density, a 100- to 220-K decrease in electron temperature, and a 50- to 140-K decrease in ion temperature. Surprisingly, the greatest decrease in electron density occurred above 200 km. The most unexpected effect was a large 20- to 40-m/s upward vertical drift observed in the topside ionosphere right after the local maximum obscuration. We suggest that this drift led to a posteclipse increase in the topside electron density.

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