A study of the shape of topside electron density profile derived from incoherent scatter radar measurements over Arecibo and Millstone Hill

The shape of the topside electron density (Ne) profile is studied using incoherent scatter radar (ISR) measurements. On the basis of more than 90,000 and 84,000 Ne profiles measured over Arecibo (18.4°N, 66.7°W, dip 49.7°) and Millstone Hill (42.6°N, 71.5°W, dip 71.6°), respectively, shape factors have been derived by fitting the ISR observed profile using a Chapman-type layer with a height-independent scale height. The results reveal that the shape factor shows a general departure from the typically used values of 0.5 (Chapman α layer) except during the night and also undergoes appreciable variation with local time, season, solar activity, and latitude. Over Arecibo, the averaged shape factor is characterized by a daytime maximum of ∼0.55–0.75, a nearly constant nighttime value close to 0.5, and a marked morning decline; over Millstone Hill, the shape factor shows pronounced seasonal variations, and the diurnal variation in summer is opposite to that in other seasons. Over both stations, the shape factor exhibits a high correlation with the F2 layer peak electron density (NmF2), and it has strong solar cycle dependence during the late morning hours. It indicates that the temperature structure of the topside ionosphere can explain much of the variation of the shape factor when the plasma density is low, especially during nighttime. During daytime hours, the topside shape factor is thought to be associated with ion-neutral drag during periods of large plasma density.