Diurnal variation of the ionospheric total electron content

Abstract

The integrated electron content of the ionosphere has been determined from measurements of the polarization angle received from Syncom 3 transmissions at 137 Mc/s. The mean diurnal variations of electron content for each of 6 months (October 1964 through March 1965) are presented. These monthly mean curves are consistent with the notion of an electron-density profile resembling the Chapman production function. However, the observed day-to-day variations are distinctly not Chapmanlike. They are discussed, and a classification system is suggested.