Effect of Solar Wind Speed on Ionospheric Electronic Content Over Baghdad City

Abstract

This paper is one of few studies that investigate the effect of the solar wind speed (SWS) on the ionospheric electron content of the ionosphere over Baghdad city based on a statistical analysis of the data obtained during the period 1996-2009 using the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI-2020) model. Vertical variations of main ionospheric parameters such as electron density (Ne), electron temperature (Te), ion temperature (Ti) within an average height interval from 100 to 1000 km are investigated in relation of their correlation with solar wind speed variation along entire solar cycle. The results show that the electron density has a marked peak structure to the altitude of 300-400 km, which corresponds to the F2 layer, exhibits a seasonal change at low altitudes, but irregular variation at high altitudes probably due to geomagnetic disturbances. The correlation analyses show the altitude dependent relations between solar wind speed and ionospheric parameters, weak correlations (R=0.5 for Ne, R=0.002 for Te) at 100 km but strong ones (R=0.85 for Ne, R=0.964 for Te) at 500 km. Because of the dominance of local processes and enough collision with neutral particles between Solar Wind (SW) speed and the ionospheric parameters, the SW speed exerts little effects on the lower ionosphere. However, large and positive correlations are found in the middle and upper ionosphere where reduced atmospheric density allows enhanced coupling between the magnetosphere and ionosphere. The study concludes that, above 300 km, the energy transfer of solar wind dominates the energy of electron and ion heating in the F2 layer region. The results are useful for explaining ionospheric dynamics and space weather impact on the radio system and satellite communication in the Middle East.