Abstract
IT has been suggested1 that over Antarctica maximum upward ionospheric drifts will be produced at about 0600 UT when horizontal neutral air winds at thermospheric heights blow directly over the magnetic pole (67° S, 141° E) towards the various Antarctic observatories. These winds lift the F region ionization to heights at which the electron loss rate is reduced. It would thus be expected that, at 0600 UT, maximum values of the F layer peak height (hmF2) and critical frequency (foF2) will occur and it was proposed1 that the well known dependence offoF2 on Universal Time could be accounted for in this way.
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References
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Challinor, R. A., Nature, 221, 941 (1969).
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King, J. W., Kohl, H., and Pratt, R., J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 29, 1529 (1967).
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ECCLES, D., KING, J. & CHALLINOR, R. Universal Time Control of the Antarctic Ionosphere. Nature Physical Science 230, 198 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci230198a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci230198a0