Formula of Total Electron Content in the Nequick Model for Low-Orbit Satellites

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Abstract

An analytical formula for calculating the vertical total electron content TEC from the base of the ionosphere to a low-orbit satellite is derived using the parameters of the E, F1, and F2 layer maxima in the NeQuick model and the altitude of the navigation satellite in the interval from the F2 layer maximum to approximately 2000 km. It is found that under typical conditions, the error of this formula does not exceed 1.5–2% compared to a more precise solution, i.e. obtaining TEC as an integral of the electron concentration according to the NeQuick model along a vertical ray from the base of the ionosphere to the satellite. The error of the formula does not depend much on the satellite altitude and is greater during the day than at the nighttime.

About the authors

M. G. Deminov

Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IZMIRAN)

Email: deminov@izmiran.ru
Moscow, Troitsk, Russia

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