Radio Physics and Radio Astronomy (Dec 2017)
STRUCTURE OF VARIABILITY INDEXES OF COSMIC WEATHER AS APPLIED TO DATA MONITORING OF FLUXES OF RADIO SOURCES AT THE “URAN-4” RADIO TELESCOPE
Abstract
Purpose: Investigation of the effects of the influence of solar and geomagnetic activity on the state of the Earth’s upper atmosphere by the method of “transmission through” it with the radiation of cosmic radio sources. Design/Methodology/approach: Monitoring of the fluxes of powerful galactic and extragalactic radio sources is carried out at the URAN-4 radio telescope of the Odesa Observatory of the Institute of Radio Astronomy of NAS of Ukraine from 1987 till now (22–24 cycles of solar activity). Findings: As a result of observations, there are significant variations in the fluxes of long-term and short-term radio sources. These changes are caused by the phenomena and processes associated with manifestation of the solar and geomagnetic activity. Thus, by examining the data obtained as a result of monitoring the radio fluxes, the degree and nature of the integral influence of space weather on the upper atmosphere of the Earth during the solar cycle and in certain episodes of extreme manifestations can be determined. Among the studied factors of cosmic weather which exert influence on the Earth upper atmosphere, the index of the radio emission of the Sun at the wavelength of 10 cm – F10.7 (as an indicator of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun) and the index of planetary geomagnetic activity – Ap-index was considered as an indicator of the effects of corpuscular fluxes. Conclusions: Monitoring of the fluxes of space radio sources made at the “URAN-4” radio telescope makes it possible to “transmit through” the entire upper atmosphere of the Earth and determines the integral effect of the solar and geomagnetic activity influence on it. Such results can not be achieved with the terrestrial radiophysics and radar methods. By means of wavelet analysis, the information on the existence of the main periods characterizing the space weather and the time of their existence was obtained. This makes it possible to relate the observed effects in changes of the fluxes of radio sources with the main sources of influence on the state of the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
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