Citation
Abstract
The relationship between solar wind induced signal phase fluctuation and solar wind columnar electron-density has been the subject of intensive analysis during the last two decades, In this article, a sizeable volume of 2.3-GHz signal phase fluctuation and columnar electron density measurements separately and concurrently inferred from Viking spacecraft signals are compared as a function of solar geometry. These data demonstrate that signal phase fluctuation and columnar electron density are proportional over a very wide span of solar elongation angle. A radially dependent electron density model which provides a good fit to the columnar electron density measurements and, when appropriately scaled, to the signal phase fluctuation measurements, is given as N,(r) = 2.21 X 108 r-® + 1.55 X 10° r° 3, where r = heliocentric distance in solar radii and N(r) = electron density in cm >. This model is also in good agreement with K-coronameter observations at 2 solar radii (2r,), with pulsar time delay measurements at 10r,, and with spacecraft in situ electron density measurements at 1 AU.
Details
- Volume
- 42-71
- Published
- November 15, 1982
- Pages
- 117–128
- File Size
- 713.1 KB