Errors of ionospheric parameter diagnostics by vertical sounding method

The problem of RMS error determination in ionospheric parameters measured b y the method of vertical HF soundings is considered here. This problem is s olved for the case of topside ionospheric soundings when the height distrib ution of electron density is monotonic. An analytical expression is obtaine d which relates the variance of deduced parameters to the correlation funct ion of errors in measured characteristics of sounding signals. The computin g simulation provides for errors in real height determination, in reconstru ction of vertical velocities of plasma motion, and in effective electron co llision frequencies for the measurements of virtual heights, Doppler freque ncy shift, and radio wave absorption, respectively. Their dependencies on s ignal polarization, working frequency range, and geomagnetic latitude of ob servation point are determined. The obtained results are useful for plannin g plasma diagnostics experiments using HF sounding technique.