MU radar ion drift model Original Research Article

The MU radar ion drift model (MUIDM) describes the diurnal, seasonal and solar activity variations of the F-region ion drift in 4 directions, eastward field-perpendicular, northward field-perpendicular, upward field-parallel, and vertical, as determined from the incoherent scatter (IS) measurements made by the Japanese MU radar (34.85°N, 136.10°E) during the years 1986–1997. The diurnal variation is expressed in terms of harmonic 6- 8- 12- and 24-hour tidal components; the seasonal dependence in terms of the day of year, and the solar activity dependence in terms of the yearly sunspot number. The model gives results for either quiet or disturbed magnetic condition.