Effects of the solar eclipse of March 29, 2006, in the ionosphere and atmosphere

Abstract

The observations of the effects of the partial (about 77%) solar eclipse (SE) of March 29, 2006, in the ionospheric plasma are presented. The experimental data were obtained using the Kharkov incoherent scatter radar. At the moment of the maximum phase of SE, a decrease in the critical frequency of the ionospheric F2 layer by 18%, a depletion of the density in the F2 layer maximum by 33%, and an increase in the maximum height zm by 30 km were observed. The solar eclipse caused a decrease in the electron and ion temperatures by 150–300 and 100–200 K, respectively, within the height range 210–490 km. An increase in the relative density of the hydrogen ions during the maximum phase of SE by 20–25% within the height range 900–1200 km is detected. Calculations of the parameters of dynamical processes and thermal regime of the ionospheric plasma during SE are performed.