The effect of sunspots number on the total electron content (TEC)‎ of the ionospheric layer e over Kirkuk station for solar cycle 24

Abstract EN

In this work, the effect of sunspots number (Ri) on the Total electronic content (TEC) were studied for the years (2008, 2014, 2018) which represents the rising phase, the peak and the down phase of the solar cycle 24 over Kirkuk station in Iraq at latitude 35° North and longitude 44° East, by finding the TEC values for the E – layer, the layer's impression times are determined for the days of solstice and equinox.

In this study the International Reference Ionosphere program (IRI) program have been applied to find the values of TEC which provided by the space research committee (COSPAR) and International Union of Radio Sciences (URSI), IRI have three upper side electron density options.

The accuracy of this study was verified by the application conducted of the university of Hacettepe in Ankara, Turkey by matching the reading of TEC from Global Position System (GPS) with output data of TEC from the IRI for Ankara station which located at (39.7 N; 32.76 E).

And from this investigation turns out that the output data from the option IRI2001 was more consistent with reading of the GPS, than the rest of the other options.

From this study by using the statistical program Minitab version 2018.

There is a strong correlation between the Total Electron Content (TEC) of Ionospheric layer E and Sunspot number for solar cycle 24.