NSSDC Scientist visits African Universities

By Dieter Bilitza

As part of an project funded by the National Science Foundation, D. Bilitza recently visited the University of Ilorin in Nigeria and the University of Cocody in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). He gave lectures on ionospheric modeling and space weather at both universities and discussed the status and progress of joint research with Prof. J. Adeniyi (Nigeria) and Dr. O. Obrou (Cote d'Ivoire). The goal of the joint project is the improvement of the bottomside electron density profile in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) at equatorial latitudes.

IRI is the empirical standard ionospheric model recommended for international use by COSPAR and URSI. Current IRI shortcomings in the equatorial region are due to the scarcity of data from this part of the globe. The IRI group is therefore actively supporting and encouraging the setting up of new stations in this region and the analyzing of old data records (mostly ionograms from ground ionosondes and from topside sounders that have not yet been inverted into electron density profiles). Prof. J. Adeniyi and his team at the University of Ilorin are in the process of installing an ionosonde on their campus. The instrument was no longer used by the French Telecom and was provided free of charge with the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, covering the shipping expenses. The Ilorin group is also involved in analyzing data from the ionosondes that operated at various times in Ibadan, Nigeria and Ougadougou, Burkina Faso.

The group in Cote d'Ivoire operates an ionosonde in Korhogo in the North of the country and is now analyzing data for years of high and low solar activity. An important aspect of this visit was the coordination of the research focus and the processing scheme used at the two African sites. The main topic during this research visit was the evaluation of the different options for the F2 peak density and height that are provided in IRI. A paper describing the results was prepared and will be submitted to a science journal. The result will be also presented in a talk during the World Space Congress in Houston, Texas, this October. As part of this collaboration Drs. Adeniyi and Obrou both spent 3-month research stays at NSSDC last year and will come again to NSSDC for 3 months next year.

At the University of Cocody with Dr. Obrou and other members of the physics faculty (from left to right): Doumouya Vafi, Bernadin Moukassa, Delphin Ochou Abe, Abel Kouadio, Arsene Kobea, Student, Dieter Bilitza, Ferdinan Fassinou, Olivier Obrou, Student.