Effect of The Density and Height of F2 layer on Ground-Based Observation of Jupiter's Radio Signal

Abstract

The density and height of the ionospheric F2 layer affect the observation of Jupiter's radio signals. The study aims to determine an approximate observation threshold from the values of the F2 peak density and the height of the F2 peak. The Florida and Lamy stations in the USA were selected. Utilizing actual observation data of Jupiter's radio signals from the Radio JOVE Data Archive for the years 2014-2015. The Radio Jove Pro software was employed to predict radio emissions from Jupiter. Ionospheric data were sourced from the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) website. The primary focus of this study is to examine the role of the ionosphere in blocking the radio signals emanating from Jupiter. It was found that 49% and 31% (for the Florida and Lamy stations, respectively) of the predicted radio emission events from Jupiter were not observed. The likelihood of observation is higher after sunset and depends on Jupiter's elevation above the horizon relative to the observer. The F2 peak density during nighttime and throughout the year ranged from approximately 1011 to 1012 m-3 at altitudes of about 260-360 km. 89% and 98% (for the Florida and Lamy stations, respectively) of the observations occurred when the F2 peak density was less than around 6×1011 m-3. In contrast, 80% and 56% (for the Florida and Lamy stations, respectively) of the cases of non-observation occurred when the F2 peak density was greater than approximately 6×1011 m-3. As for The height of the F2 peak (hmF2), 85% and 93% of the observations occurred when the hmF2 was greater than about 300 km for the Florida and Lamy stations, respectively. The probability of observation is significantly influenced by the relationship between the electron density and its corresponding altitude.