Joint observation results of Na layer and ionosphere in Wuhan during the Total Solar Eclipse.

During the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2009 in Wuhan, the joint observation test of Na layer and ionosphere was conducted by using the daytime observation atmospheric lidar and the GPS ionosphere detector. The results show that the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of Na layer density slightly narrowed during the total solar eclipse and broadened after the eclipse, while the height of Na peak slightly decreased in the eclipse and increased after the eclipse. These implying that Na layer changes reflect the rapid process of sunrise and sunset. The ionosphere total electron content (TEC) and the sky background light noise also presented an obvious fluctuation characteristic with the changes of solar irradiation during the process of total solar eclipse. The difference lies in that the changes of FWHM of Na layer atoms are much slower than that of ionosphere, the reason for this might be that the Na layer, after being disturbed by the total solar eclipse, will generate a series of complicated photochemical reactions and momentum transport processes, and then recombine the Na atoms. The Na atoms to be detected by the lidar need a lag process, which rightly conforms to the theoretical simulated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]