Numerical methods for reduction of topside ionograms

Several alternative methods for solving the group height equation are presented. Three of these are now in operation at Ames Research Center and use data contained in a single ionogram trace. From the data an electron density profile N(h) is computed. If the ionogram also exhibits other traces, reverse ionogram traces are computed, using the N(h) profile, for comparison with the redundant data. When agreement is poor, the initial data trace is reinterpreted, another N(h) profile computed, and the reverse traces generated once again. This process is repeated until a desired degree of consistency is achieved. To reduce the necessity for human intervention and eliminate decision making required in conjunction with the preceding methods, a method is proposed that accepts as input, all data from a single ionogram. In general, no electron density function will satisfy these data exactly, but a best N(h) profile can be computed. Finally, a method is described that eliminates the need to assume that the ionosphere is spherically stratified. Horizontal gradients in electron density are detected and accounted for by processing several ionograms from the same satellite pass simultaneously. This idea is derived as an extension of one of the basic methods.