VARIATIONS OF IONOSPHERIC SCINTILLATION INDEX FOR THE SHORT-TIME INTERVALS OBSERVED ON THE POWER COSMIC RADIO SOURCES AT THE DECAMETER WAVELENGTHS

Abstract

Purpose: Variations of ionospheric scintillation index of the power cosmic radio sources (3С144, 3С274, 3С405, and 3С461) observed for the year-to-day time intervals with the radio telescope at the decameter wavelengths are analyzed. Design/methodology/approach: The statistical methods were used for the ionospheric scintillation data analysis. Findings: The ionospheric scintillation index had been estimated during 1998–2007. Annual average values correlated very largely with the solar activity indices (sunspot numbers and flux at the wavelength of 10.7 cm). Daily-seasonal dependence is characteristic of monthly mean values. Daily mean values show significant variability, in particular, related to geomagnetic activity. Conclusions: Behavior of the ionospheric scintillation index of the power cosmic radio sources shows different character for different time intervals.

Keywords

• discrete radio sources
• ionospheric scintillations
• scintillation index
• daily-seasonal dependence