A New Method to Determine the Optimal Thin Layer Ionospheric Height and Its Application in the Polar Regions

The conversion between the line-of-sight slant total electron content (STEC) and vertical (VTEC) depends on mapping function (MF) under widely used thin layer ionospheric model. height (TLIH) is an essential parameter of MF, which affects accuracy STEC VTEC. Due to influence temporal spatial variations ionosphere, optimal TLIH not constant over globe, particularly in polar regions. In this paper, a new method for determining proposed, compares values (MFVs) from MF at different given TLIHs with “truth” UQRG global maps (GIMs) differential TEC (dSTEC) method, namely dSTEC- GIM-based (dG-TLIH) techniques. determined using dG-TLIH based GNSS data Antarctic Arctic. Furthermore, we analyze relationship derived maximum density F2 (hmF2) COSMIC According mainly distributed 370 500 km Arctic 400 solar cycle. Arctic, correlation coefficient hmF2 0.7, deviation them 162 km. Meanwhile, Antarctic, 0.60, phase lag ~3 months, leading TLIH, 177