• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2017

The F2-layer critical frequency (foF2) data from several ionosondes are employed to study the long-distance effect of the M8.8 Chile Earthquake of February 27, 2010, on the F2 layer. Significant perturbations of the peak F2-layer electron density have been observed following the earthquake at two South African stations, Hermanus and Madimbo, which are located at great circle distances of ~8,000 and ~10,000 km from the earthquake epicenter, respectively. Simplified estimates demonstrate that the observed ionospheric perturbations can be caused by a long-period acoustic gravity wave produced in the F-region by the earthquake.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.81.1-81.1
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• 2011

The new coherent scatter ionospheric radar has been operating at Gyerong city ($36.18^{\circ}N$, $127.14^{\circ}E$, dip lat $26.7^{\circ}N$), South Korea. This VHF radar is consisted of 24 Yagi antennas having 5 elements and observes the E- and F-region field-aligned irregularities (FAIs) in a single frequency of 40.8 MHz with a peak power of 24 kW. We present the first results of the E- and F-region FAIs over Korea by using the new VHF coherent scatter ionospheric radar. The morphological and echo characteristics are studied in terms of their echo strength, Doppler velocity and also by spectral width values. From the continuous observations from December 2009, we found ionospheric E- and F-region FAIs appeared frequently. The most interesting and striking observations for E region are occurrence of daytime E-region irregularities and strong Quasi-Periodic (QP) echoes at nighttime. And for F region, strong post-sunset and pre-sunrise FAIs appeared frequently. The VHF radar observations over Korea are discussed in the light of current understanding of mid-latitude E- and F-region FAIs.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.137-140
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• 2015

The results of the study of ionospheric variations in the summer months of 1998-2002 at an ionospheric station of vertical sounding "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" are presented. Anomalous variations of virtual sporadic-E height (h'Es), Es blanketing frequency (fbEs), and the critical frequency of the ionospheric F2 layer (foF2) (which can be attributed to the possible earthquake precursors) are selected. The high efficiency of the selection of ionospheric earthquake precursors based on the several parameters of Es and F2 layers is shown. The empirical dependence, which reflects the connection between the lead-time of the earthquake moment, the distance to the epicenter from the observation point, and the magnitude of the earthquake are obtained. This empirical dependence is consistent with the results of the detection of earthquake precursors by measuring the physical parameters of the Earth's crust in the same region.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.24.3-24.3
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• 2008

The signals transmitted from satellites of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interact with the plasma of the ionosphere. To study the impact of the ionospheric plasma on GNSS applications a comprehensive knowledge of the ionosphere is required. Especially the correct measurement of the ionosphere such as the peak height of the F2 layer peak electron density (hmF2) is important for the GNSS ionospheric model. Anyang ionosonde station ($37.39^{\circ}N$, $126.95^{\circ}E$) has been operating from October 2000 and the accumulated data for 8 years may allow us to obtain climatological characteristics of middle latitude ionospheric F region for GNSS application. We analyzed the variations of the hmF2 and NmF2 over Anyang station for different conditions of solar activity, geomagnetic activity, season, and local time, and we compared our results with the IRI model.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.207-210
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• 2016

Under the assumption of the presence of a medium-scale E × B drift vortex of plasma in the daytime midlatitude F region, and using a simplified ionospheric model, we demonstrate that the E × B drift produces noticeable perturbations in the horizontal distribution of the plasma density in the upper F region. The pattern of ion density perturbations shows two separate medium scale domains of enhanced and reduced ion density with respect to the background. The E × B drift does not produce multiple small-scale ion density irregularities through plasma mixing because of the suppression effect of the field-aligned ambipolar plasma diffusion.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.127.1-127.1
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• 2012

The 40.8-MHz VHF coherent scatter ionospheric radar, located in South Korea (Gyeryong, $36.18^{\circ}N$, $127.14^{\circ}E$), has been operating since December 2009 to investigate ionosphere E- and F-region field-aligned irregularities (FAIs) of mid-latitude. During the observation, we found E- and F-region FAIs appeared frequently: continuous echoes during the post-sunrise period and Quasi-Periodic (QP) echoes at nighttime for E region ; strong post-sunset and pre-sunrise FAIs for F region. The characteristics of E- and F-region FAIs are presented in terms of seasonal and local time variations of occurrence during December 2009 to August 2012. In addition, to investigate the correlation with geomagnetic activity to FAIs occurrence, we compared K-index variations to local time occurrence. It is worth to note our occurrence result since long term observation over several years in the mid-latitude has not yet been carried out.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.121-131
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• 2019

The ionospheric mid-latitude trough (IMT) is the electron density depletion phenomenon in the F region during nighttime. It has been suggested that the IMT is the result of complex plasma processes coupled to the magnetosphere. In order to statistically investigate the characteristics of the IMT, we analyze topside sounding data from Alouette and ISIS satellites in 1960s and 1970s. The IMT position is almost constant for seasons and solar activities whereas the IMT depth ratio and the IMT feature are stronger and clearer in the winter hemisphere under solar minimum condition. We also calculated transition heights at which the densities of oxygen ions and hydrogen/helium ions are equal. Transition heights are generally higher in daytime and lower in nighttime, but the opposite aspects are seen in the IMT region. Utilizing the Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) electron temperature measurements, we find that the electron temperature in the IMT region is enhanced at night during winter. The increase of electron temperature may cause fast transport of the ionospheric plasma to the magnetosphere via ambipolar diffusion, resulting in the IMT depletion. This mechanism of the IMT may work in addition to the simply prolonged recombination of ions proposed by the traditional stagnation model.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.15 no.spc2
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• pp.21-25
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• 2000

The ionosphere, the atmosphere of the earth ionized by solar radiations, has been strongly varied with solar activity. The ionosphere varies with the solar cycle, the seasons, the latitudes and during any given day. Radio wave propagation through or in the ionosphere is affected by ionospheric condition so that one needs to consider its effects on operating communication systems normally. For examples, sporadic E may form at any time. It occurs at altitudes between 90 to 140 km (in the E region), and may be spread over a large area or be confined to a small region. Sometimes the sporadic E layer works as a mirror so that the communication signal does not reach the receiver. And radiation from the Sun during large solar flares causes increased ionization in the D region which results in greater absorption of HF radio waves. This phenomenon is called short wave fade-outs. If the flare is large enough, the whole of the HF spectrum can be rendered unusable for a period of time. Due to events on the Sun, sometimes the Earth's magnetic field becomes disturbed. The geomagnetic field and the ionosphere are linked in complex ways and a disturbance in the geomagnetic field can often cause a disturbance in the F region of the ionosphere. An enhancement will not usually concern the HF communicator, but the depression may cause frequencies normally used for communication to be too high with the result that the wave penetrates the ionosphere. Ionospheric storms can occur throughout the solar cycle and are related to coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and coronal holes on the Sun. Except the above mentioned phenomena, there are a lot of things to affect the radio communication. Nowadays, radio technique for probing the terrestrial ionosphere has a tendency to use satellite system such as GPS. To get more accurate information about the variation of the ionospheric electron density, a TEC measurement system is necessary so RRL will operate the system in the near future.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2017

The electric coupling between the lithosphere and the ionosphere is examined. The electric field is considered as a timevarying irregular vertical Coulomb field presumably produced on the Earth's surface before an earthquake within its epicentral zone by some micro-processes in the lithosphere. It is shown that the Fourier component of this electric field with a frequency of 500 Hz and a horizontal scale-size of 100 km produces in the nighttime ionosphere of high and middle latitudes a transverse electric field with a magnitude of ~20 mV/m if the peak value of the amplitude of this Fourier component is just 30 V/m. The time-varying vertical Coulomb field with a frequency of 500 Hz penetrates from the ground into the ionosphere by a factor of ${\sim}7{\times}10^5$ more efficient than a time independent vertical electrostatic field of the same scale size. The transverse electric field with amplitude of 20 mV/m will cause perturbations in the nighttime F region electron density through heating the F region plasma resulting in a reduction of the downward plasma flux from the protonosphere and an excitation of acoustic gravity waves.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.27.1-27.1
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• 2011

This study is about the ionospheric variation on the Korean Peninsula using GPS TEC data from Daejeon IGS GPS site. It has accumulated the 11 years GPS data from 2000. In this work, the hourly and daily averaged TEC data are used. Data period covers a full solar cycle from 2000 to 2010 (11 years) which the total observed days are 98%. The mean TEC data shows the annual/semiannual variation, solar cycle and 27 days. GPS TEC has a good correlation with solar F10.7 index. We also compare with planetary Kp and AE indices. The maximum of the daily mean GPS TEC is around 50 TECU at 2000 and that value of 2009 is near 10 TECU. we confirms that the GPS TEC is a good indicator for ionospheric variation for the mid-latitudinal region to understand the ionospheric climatology over Korea Peninsula.