Abstract
Abstract. The FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 (F7/C2) will ultimately place 12 satellites in orbit with two launches with 24–28.5° inclination and 520–550 km altitude in 2016 and with 72° inclination and 720–750 km altitude in 2018. It would be very useful for the community to construct the global three-dimensional electron density structure by simultaneously combining the two launch observations for studying ionospheric structure and dynamics. However, to properly construct the global electron density structure, it is essential to know and evaluate differences between the ionospheric electron densities probed by the two launches. To mimic the F7/C2 observations, we examine the electron density probed at the two satellite altitudes 500 and 800 km by means of FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) observations at the parking orbit 500 km altitude and mission orbit 800 km altitude, as well as a corresponding observing system simulation experiment (OSSE). Observation and OSSE results show that the sounding geometries by satellite orbiting at 500 and 800 km altitudes can cause the overall differences in the electron density, the F2 peak electron density, and the F2 peak height of about 18–24, 12–28 %, and 7–19 km, respectively. Results confirm that the discrepancies mainly result from the sounding geometry and the grid (contour) bias of the electron density.
Highlights
On 15 April 2006, six microsatellites of FORMOSAT3/COSMIC (F3/C) were launched to the parking orbit of about 516 km altitude and subsequently lifted to the mission orbit at about 800 km, both with an inclination of 72◦
The F3/C observation and observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) show that the electron density, NmF2, and hmF2 probed at 500 and 800 km altitude are similar (Figs. 2a and b and 4a and b)
The overall difference N500–N800 could result from the observation data www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/3069/2015/
Summary
On 15 April 2006, six microsatellites of FORMOSAT3/COSMIC (F3/C) were launched to the parking orbit of about 516 km altitude and subsequently lifted to the mission orbit at about 800 km, both with an inclination of 72◦. Yue et al (2011) conducted simulations based on F3/C observations using NeQuick model and found that the solar activity and the satellite orbit altitude variations do not influence the ratio of the successfully retrieved electron density profiles to the observed occultation events and the relative Abel inversion error of the electron density as well. They show that different orbit electron density derivation methods have no essential influence on the Abel retrieved electron density. The F3/C electron densities observed from 500 and 800 km satellite altitude are qualitatively similar
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