A Study of Total Electron Content & Slab Thickness Variations at Kurukshetra

Abstract

Total electron content (TEC) has been measured at Kurukshetra using 40 MHz radio beacon transmission from orbiting satellite BE-C for the period Dec. 1970-Oct. 1971. The variations of TEC and slab thickness with time, season, solar and magnetic activity are studied. The maximum values of TEC are found to be comparable in winter and summer, being about 4.6 x 10¹⁷ and 4.2 x 10¹⁷ el./m², respectively, and hence winter anomaly' is not very much pronounced. The noon values of slab thickness are also comparable in winter and summer seasons being about 340 km, but peaks in slab thickness occur before sunrise and after sunset in winter season. The variations of TEC and slab thickness values are found to be positively correlated with 10.7 cm solar flux but their association with magnetic activity is weak.