Self‐Consistent Optimization of Electron and Neutral Densities in a Physics‐Based Model Toward Ionosphere‐Thermosphere Forecast

Abstract In this study, we aimed to explore whether electron and neutral densities could be simultaneously optimized while keeping the ionosphere‐thermosphere (IT) system self‐consistent. We used ionospheric and thermospheric observations, either alone or together, as constraints to adjust uncertain...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shuwei Liu, Dexin Ren, Jiuhou Lei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-06-01
Series:Space Weather
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2025SW004348
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Summary:Abstract In this study, we aimed to explore whether electron and neutral densities could be simultaneously optimized while keeping the ionosphere‐thermosphere (IT) system self‐consistent. We used ionospheric and thermospheric observations, either alone or together, as constraints to adjust uncertain parameters in a physics‐based model. Our results show that using only one type of observation to constrain the model can inaccurately describe physical processes. This leads to larger errors in specifying the other density parameter since electron and neutral densities react differently to these processes. In contrast, combining both types of observations allows for the simultaneous optimization of these parameters and preserves the self‐consistency in the ionosphere‐thermosphere system. This study demonstrates that optimizing model parameters with observational constraints is an effective way to forecast the IT system.
ISSN:1542-7390