Near real time plasma irregularity monitoring by FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2

Abstract

The near real-time global plasma bubble map is constructed by utilizing the FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2(F7/C2) radio occultation(RO) scintillation observations in low latitudes. Several tools investigating plasma bubbles like the rate of TEC index(ROTI), Range-TimeIntensity(RTI) diagrams of the Jicamarca Unattended Long-term Investigations of the Ionosphere and Atmosphere(JULIA), and the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk(GOLD) 135.6nm airglow observations are provided validating the RO scintillations. Result shows that the F7/C2 scintillation is sensitive detecting plasma irregularities, especially for the bottom side of these bubbles, which can be used to investigating nighttime vertical plasma drifts in low latitudinal Fregion. The hourly quick look of the low latitude plasma bubble occurrence and vertical ion drift around the globe is significant to the space weather monitoring.