Variations in ionospheric D-region recombination properties during increase of its X-ray heating induced by solar X-ray flare

Abstract

In this paper we present an analysis of parameters describing the effective recombination processes in the upper ionospheric D-region in the period of its additional heating by the X-radiation emitted during a solar X-ray flare. We present a procedure for calculation of the effective recombination coefficient and electron loss rate in the period when the X-radiation flux detected by the GOES satellite in the wavelength domain between 0.1 and 0.8 nm increases. The developed procedure is based on observational data obtained in the low ionospheric monitoring by the very low/low frequency radio waves and it is related to the considered area and time period. The obtained expressions are applied to data for the very low frequency signal emitted in Germany and recorded in Serbia during the solar X-ray flare detected by the GOES-14 satellite on May 5, 2010.