COMPARISONS OF MODELED N+, O+, H+, AND HE+ IN THE MIDLATITUDE IONOSPHERE WITH MEAN DENSITIES AND TEMPERATURES FROM ATMOSPHERE EXPLORER

In this study, Atmosphere Explorer data and model results for the ion and electron temperature and the density of N+, O+, H+, and He+ betwee n 120 and 1400 km altitude are compared for two midlatitude ranges (L= 2 and L=4), noon and midnight local time, winter and summer, at solar minimum. The data for the heavy atomic ions (O+ and N+) show that thei r densities are greater at noon than at midnight for a given season an d greater in summer than winter for a given local time. There is only a weak latitudinal variation in the density of these ions. The data sh ow that the light ion (H+ and He+) densities are greater at midnight t han at noon and are generally greater in winter than summer. There is a strong latitudinal variation of the light ion densities, with the de nsities decreasing with increasing latitude. The model densities are i n good agreement with the AE densities for N+, O+, and H+. Model He+ d ensities are lower, by a factor of 2 or more, than the measured densit ies. Model ion and electron temperatures agree well with the measured temperatures with only a modest increase in plasmaspheric heating.