spase-metadata.org SPASE landing pages.

Alouette 2 Topside Electron Density Profiles Manually Scaled at CRC

ResourceID
spase://NASA/NumericalData/Alouette2/SFS/PT32S

Description

This data set, provided by the Communications Research Centre (CRC) in Ottawa, Canada, consists of electron density profiles derived from Alouette 2 Sweep-Frequency Sounder for the ionosphere above the F2 maximum (topside ionosphere). The data set was originally provided on an EBCDIC magnetic tape written on an IBM 360 computer. The electron density profiles were computed from digital values of frequency and virtual height, scaled from ionograms. The data are ordered chronologically and include about 11,000 profiles. Telemetry stations are not identified, but satellite location, Greenwich mean time of observation, solar zenith angle at the satellite, dip latitude at the satellite, total electron content down to the lowest height of topside signal reflection (normally near 300 km), and other relevant information is noted with each profile. The format gives sequences of numbers for each point scaled from the ionogram. These sequences include electron density at the successive points, and the coefficients a2, b3, b4, b5, etc. from which geometric heights can be calculated, using formulas 40 and 41 in J. E. Jackson, "The reduction of topside ionograms to electron-density profiles," Proceedings of the IEEE., p. 960, June 1969. These formulas can also be used to calculate interpolated density-height values. A CRC interpolation program available at NSSDC can be used with this data set. The ionograms were selected for their scientific interest and comprise only a very small portion of reductions possible from the available ionograms. Data obtained prior to March 9, 1970, are also available on microfiche from NSSDC.

View XML | View JSON | Edit

Details

Version:2.7.1

MetadataRightsList

Rights
SchemeURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/
RightsIdentifierScheme
SPDX
RightsIdentifier
CC0-1.0
RightsURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html
RightsName
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
Note
CC0 1.0 Universal is the Creative Commons license applicable to all publicly available SPASE metadata descriptions

Version:2.7.1

NumericalData

ResourceID
spase://NASA/NumericalData/Alouette2/SFS/PT32S
NamingAuthority
NASA
ResourceType
NumericalData
ResourceHeader
ResourceName
Alouette 2 Topside Electron Density Profiles Manually Scaled at CRC
ReleaseDate
2025-12-04 13:28:27Z
RevisionHistory
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2021-04-27 15:38:11Z
Note
Only known prior ReleaseDate of the metadata
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2025-12-04 13:28:27Z
Note
Added MetadataRightsList and RightsList(s). Added ResourceType and NamingAuthority. Updated to 2.7.1. Changed http to https in top-level schemaLocation attribute. Fixed version number separator in top-level schemaLocation attribute. ZCB
Description

This data set, provided by the Communications Research Centre (CRC) in Ottawa, Canada, consists of electron density profiles derived from Alouette 2 Sweep-Frequency Sounder for the ionosphere above the F2 maximum (topside ionosphere). The data set was originally provided on an EBCDIC magnetic tape written on an IBM 360 computer. The electron density profiles were computed from digital values of frequency and virtual height, scaled from ionograms. The data are ordered chronologically and include about 11,000 profiles. Telemetry stations are not identified, but satellite location, Greenwich mean time of observation, solar zenith angle at the satellite, dip latitude at the satellite, total electron content down to the lowest height of topside signal reflection (normally near 300 km), and other relevant information is noted with each profile. The format gives sequences of numbers for each point scaled from the ionogram. These sequences include electron density at the successive points, and the coefficients a2, b3, b4, b5, etc. from which geometric heights can be calculated, using formulas 40 and 41 in J. E. Jackson, "The reduction of topside ionograms to electron-density profiles," Proceedings of the IEEE., p. 960, June 1969. These formulas can also be used to calculate interpolated density-height values. A CRC interpolation program available at NSSDC can be used with this data set. The ionograms were selected for their scientific interest and comprise only a very small portion of reductions possible from the available ionograms. Data obtained prior to March 9, 1970, are also available on microfiche from NSSDC.

Contacts
RolePersonStartDateStopDateNote
1.GeneralContactspase://SMWG/Person/Dieter.K.Bilitza
PriorIDs
spase://VSPO/NumericalData/P_ALOUETTE2_HDR_NEPROF
spase://VSPO/NumericalData/Alouette2/SFS/PT32S
AccessInformation
RepositoryID
Availability
Online
AccessRights
Open
RightsList
Rights
SchemeURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/
RightsIdentifierScheme
SPDX
RightsIdentifier
CC0-1.0
RightsURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html
RightsName
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
Note
CC0 1.0 Universal is the Creative Commons license applicable to all publicly available NASA Heliophysics data products
AccessURL
AccessURL
Name
HTTPS from SPDF
URL
Description

In CDF via HTTP from CDAWeb

AccessURL
Name
CDAWeb
URL
ProductKey
ALOUETTE2_NEPROF_TOPS
Description

ALOUETTE2_NEPROF_TOPS

Format
CDF
AccessInformation
RepositoryID
Availability
Online
AccessRights
Open
RightsList
Rights
SchemeURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/
RightsIdentifierScheme
SPDX
RightsIdentifier
CC0-1.0
RightsURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html
RightsName
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
Note
CC0 1.0 Universal is the Creative Commons license applicable to all publicly available NASA Heliophysics data products
AccessURL
Name
CDAWeb HAPI Server
URL
Style
HAPI
ProductKey
ALOUETTE2_NEPROF_TOPS
Description

Web Service to this product using the HAPI interface.

Format
CSV
ProviderProcessingLevel
CALIBRATED
InstrumentIDs
MeasurementType
ThermalPlasma
TemporalDescription
TimeSpan
StartDate
1965-12-15 09:40:15
StopDate
1972-07-10 22:37:22
Cadence
PT32S
ObservedRegion
Earth.NearSurface.Ionosphere