Abstract
Changes in the state of the D and E ionospheric regions lead to variations in the amplitude-phase characteristics of VLF radio signals. The existing theoretical and empirical models of the propagation of low-frequency electromagnetic waves qualitatively describe the relative variations in the parameters of the lower ionosphere associated with strong heliogeophysical disturbances; however, these models do not allow estimation of the absolute value and distribution of the electron concentration. We used the measurement data for the amplitude-phase characteristics of VLF radio signals with different frequencies propagating along two closely spaced paths. This made it possible not only to quantify the parameters of the D region of the ionosphere on a spatial scale of thousands of kilometers during the powerful solar flare of September 10, 2017 but also to restore the electron concentration profile before the onset of X-ray radiation.
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The study was performed as part of the state assignment АААА-А17-117112350014-8.
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Translated by M. Chubarova
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Gavrilov, B.G., Ermak, V.M., Poklad, Y.V. et al. Estimate of Variations in the Parameters of the Midlatitude Lower Ionosphere Caused by the Solar Flare of September 10, 2017. Geomagn. Aeron. 59, 587–592 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016793219050049
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016793219050049