Statistical properties of variability of the quiet ionosphere F2-layer maximum parameters over Irkutsk under low solar activity

Abstract The statistical analysis of the quiet ionosphere F2-layer maximum parameters variability (deviations of NmF2 and hmF2 from the quiet medians, δn and Δ h ) under solar minimum at day (10–16 LT) and night (22–04 LT) hours based on data of Irkutsk station for 2007–2010 is presented. It is found that the experimental distribution (histogram) of δn can be approximated by a mixture of two normal distributions. The first and second components of the mixture characterize, mainly, relatively weak and strong fluctuations of δn which are presumably associated with the ionospheric effects of the atmospheric gravity waves and of the planetary waves and tides correspondingly. Deviation of the δn histogram from a single normal distribution is most considerable at night hours in winter and equinoxes. For these conditions the weak fluctuations of δn are mainly negative and the strong ones are mainly positive. The Δ h histogram is a normal distribution except day hours in winter and equinoxes when a weak deviation of the histogram from the normal distribution occurs.