NeQuick model
NeQuick 2 is the latest version of the NeQuick ionosphere electron density model developed at the Aeronomy and Radiopropagation Laboratory (now T/ICT4D Laboratory) of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) - Trieste, Italy with the collaboration of the Institute for Geophysics, Astrophysics and Meteorology of the University of Graz, Austria.
The NeQuick is a quick-run ionospheric electron density model particularly designed for trans-ionospheric propagation applications. To describe the electron density of the ionosphere up to the peak of the F2 layer, the NeQuick uses a profile formulation which includes five semi-Epstein layers with modelled thickness parameters. Three profile anchor points are used: the E layer peak, the F1 peak and the F2 peak, that are modelled in terms of the ionosonde parameters foE, foF1, foF2 and M(3000)F2. These values can be modelled (e.g. ITU- R coefficients for foF2, M3000) or experimentally derived. A semi-Epstein layer represents the model topside with a height- dependent thickness parameter empirically determined.
The NeQuick gives the electron density for positions in the ionosphere with height, geocentric latitude, geocentric longitude as coordinates on a spherical earth. The model values depend on solar activity (given by monthly-mean sunspot number R12 or 10.7 cm solar radio flux F10.7) season (month) and time (Universal Time UT).
The NeQuick package includes routines to evaluate the electron density along any ground-to-satellite straight line ray-path and the corresponding Total Electron Content (TEC) by numerical integration.
For visualization purposes the electron density along a slant ray-path is plotted as a function of the coordinate s, the distance along the ray measured from the first end point (ground).
Reference: Nava, B., P. Coisson and S.M. Radicella (2008): A new version of the NeQuick ionosphere electron density
model, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2008.01.015.