Review of progress in gathering, distributing, and using satellite data for activities within PRIME

Abstract

Recent progress in using the satellite data for various PRIME (Prediction and Retrospective Ionospheric Modelling over Europe) purposes is briefly presented. The satellite data base is already in operation and contains data of local plasma and neutral atmosphere parameters taken from several ionospheric satellites. A method of tracing the locally measured parameters along the magnetic field lines down to h_mF₂ is developed using a theoretical F-region code. This method is applied to receive f_oF_2sat needed to test monthly median and instantaneous mapping methods. In order to reduce the uncertainties arising from the unknown photoionization and recombination rates, f_oF₂ is calibrated at one point on the satellite orbit with a Vertical Incident (VI) f_oF₂ and their ratio is then assumed constant along the whole satellite track over the PRIME area. The testing procedure for monthly median maps traces the measured plasma density down to a basic height of 400 km, where individual f_oF_2sat values are accumulated in every time/subarea bin within the given month, then their median is calibrated with the available medians from the VI ionosonde network. From all available satellite orbits over the PRIME area, 35 of them were found to pass over two VI ionosonde stations. The second station in these orbits was used to check the calculated f_oF_2sat with the measured VI f_oF₂. The standard deviation was found to be only 0.15 MHz.