TOPIST --- OUTPUT FILE FORMAT ----------------------------- If there are no data errors, TOPIST will process the input ionogram file and create an output file in ASCII format to record the processing results. An output file consists of at most 16 items. Each item includes three parts: item code initial with a star mark, item title and information content. Some items may be missing when TOPIST cannot give information for it. Next is the description for each item. *(01) IONOGRAM DATA FILE NAME: It is found that the processing results may be a little bit different for full and average data files. So the data file name is recorded in this first item. *(02) SATELLITE (NAME, HEIGHT [km], GYRO-FREQUENCY [MHz], DIP-ANGLE [DEGREES]): The satellite name is Alouette-1, Alouette-2, ISIS-1, or ISIS-2. The height, gyro-frequency and dip angle at the satellite position when it did topside sounding corresponding to the ionogram data file are also recorded in this item. The magnetic dipole model is used to get the values for the gyro-frequency and the dip angle. But if TOPIST successfully scales the cyclotron harmonics, the gyro-frequency value may change a little bit from the modeled value to match the scaled harmonics. This corrected gyro-frequency is recorded here. The propagation path is assumed in the earth radial direction in TOPIST. In the magnetic dipole model, the gyro-frequency varies with a cubic law and the dip angle keeps constant. *(03) TIME (UT YYYY DOY MM DD HH MM SS; LMT HH MM; GMLT HH MM): Recorded in this item are the universal time including four-digit year, three-digit day of year, hour, minute and second, the local time including hour and minute, and the magnetic local time including hour and minute. The information of time is read from the ionogram data file. *(04) LOCATION [DEGREES] (GG-LATITUDE,LONGITUDE; GM-LATITUDE,LONGITUDE; SHELL): The coordinates of the satellite position are read from the ionogram data file and recorded in this item. They are Geographic latitude and longitude, magnetic latitude and longitude, and the L shell value. *(05) SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL PARAMETERS (SUNSPOT NUMBER AND ZENITH [DEGREES]): The recorded12-month smoothed sunspot number and the solar zenith angle are also read from the ionogram data file. *(06) SCALING STATUS (TOOL, STATUS-CODE[1,2,3], REMARK): "TOOL" means the program version used for processing, for example, TOPIST_2000.12 tells the processing is made with the Program TOPIST Version 2000.12. The content in "STATUS-CODE, REMARK" part shows the processing mode. It is one of the following: 1 : AUTO-SCALED 2 : MANU-SCALED 3 : AUTO-SCALED+MANU-SCALED *(07) SCALING CONCLUSION (CONCLUSION-CODE, REMARK): This item records the processing conclusion. If the scaling is successful, It gives: 0 SUCCESSFUL INVERSION Otherwise, either a warning or an error message is given. If it is an "error", TOPIST will not do processing for the current ionogram data file but continue to process the next one. CODE NUMBER AND WARNING/ERROR MESSAGE FOR PROCESSING (EXPLANATIONS) 031 ERROR: THE DATA FILE "SSNTOP.BIN" OR "SSNTOP.ASC" NOT FOUND (TOPIST will stop execution) 032 ERROR: THE FILE TO GET URSI/CCIR COEFFICIENTS NOT FOUND (TOPIST will stop execution) 041 ERROR: NO RESONANCE FREQUENCY LINES IDENTIFIED 051 ERROR: NOT ENOUGH POINTS FOUND TO CONSTRUCT BASELINE 052 ERROR: SCALED O/X STARTING FREQUENCY50%) 056 ERROR: AUTO-SCALING FAILED 071 ERROR: NOT ENOUGH (AT LEAST 10) O/X TRACE POINTS FOR INVERSION 072 ERROR: NON-MONOTONIC PROFILE 073 WARNING: THE F2 PEAK FOUND NOT REASONABLE 074 ERROR: UNREASONABLE F2 PEAK FOUND TO CAUSE RUNNING ERRORS 075 ERROR: NO COEFFICIENTS FOUND FROM AN ILL-CONDITIONED EQUATION 076 WARNING: THE F2 CUSP MAY BE BEYOND THE MAXIMUM SWEPT FREQUENCY *(08) SCALED: foF2 [MHz], hmF2 [km], AND MODELED: foF2 [MHz], hmF2 [km] The scaled and modeled foF2 and hmF2 are listed. Note that the entry 0.0 means the value was not found or determined. *(09) RESONANCE & CUTOFF FREQUENCIES[MHz] (FZS,FNS,FTS,FXS,CYCLOTRON HARMONICS): Resonance and cutoff frequencies at the satellite position scaled from the ionogram are listed in this item. In the first line listed are FZS (Z-trace cutoff), FNS (O-trace cutoff), FTS (upper-hybrid resonance) AND FXS (X-trace cutoff) and the cyclotron harmonics n*fHS (n=1,2,...,10) are listed in the second line (zero entries means not observed). *(10) FREQUENCY TABLE (INDICES OF SCAN STARTING AND ENDING, FREQUNCY [MHz]): The digitization of a topside ionogram is done for a series of frequencies with frequency indices starting from 1 for fixed frequency sounding and then frequency is swept for swept frequency sounding. The frequency indices of scan starting and ending are listed in the first line. And then the frequency values are listed from the second line. In APPENDIX B, for example, 0.100MHz is the first frequency in scan with index 147, 0.108MHz the second frequency with index 148, etc. and the last frequency is 10.078MHz with index 640. *(11) TRUE HEIGHT (INDICES OF STARTING AND ENDING FREQUENCIES, HEIGHT [km]): The true heights are listed for plasma frequencies with indices of starting and ending frequencies that are listed in the first line. In APPENDIX B, for example, the indices of starting and ending frequencies are 271 and 592. From the frequency table recorded in ITEM (10), the starting frequency is 1.072MHz and the ending frequency 8.080MHz. So the numerical table of the electron density profile is as follows Plasma frequency (MHz) Height (km) 1.072 1410.268 1.081 1397.796 ... ... 8.040 360.190 8.080 352.721 *(12) PROFILE PARAMETERS (fs [MHz], fm [MHz], RM [km], A(1),..., A(8) [km]): The analytical expression of the electron density profile inverted from the scaled trace data is of the form which gives the distance measured from the satellite down to the Earth, R, as a function of plasma frequency, fN (fs le fN le fm ; le less or equal): R=Rm+sqrt(g * sum{(Ai*Ti(g); i=0 to 7}) g=ln(fN/fm)/ln(fs/fm) Ti is the i-th order of shifted Chebyshev polynomial. The values for fs, fm and Rm are listed in the first line, and the coefficients Ai in the second line. *(13) PROFILE QUALITY(1~3: 3=BEST), FREQUENCY RANGE[MHz] WITH HIGHER CONFIDENCE: The quality of the profile inverted from the scaled trace data is estimated with three levels: 1 means not reliable and 3 the most confidant. Also the plasma frequency range is given in which the profile is believed more reliable. These parameters are determined by the estimation of scaling quality for resonance and traces and the deviation of recalculated traces from the scaled values. *(14) O-TRACE (STARTING AND ENDING FREQUENCY INDICES, SPREAD [km], RANGE [km]): The ranges of the scaled O-trace points are listed for a frequency range with frequency indices listed in the first line. The trace spread is defined as the average spreading in range. The current TOPIST estimates the spread only if it successfully scales the O-trace. *(15) X-TRACE (STARTING AND ENDING FREQUENCY INDICES, SPREAD [km], RANGE [km]): The ranges of the scaled X-trace points are listed for a frequency range with frequency indices listed in the first line. . The trace spread is defined as the average spreading in range. The current TOPIST estimates the spread only if it successfully scales the X-trace. *(16) GROUND RETURNS FOUND If the ground returns found, this item reads "GROUND RETURNS FOUND"; otherwise, it reads "GROUND RETURNS NOT FOUND". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An Example of the TOPIST Output Files *(01) IONOGRAM DATA FILE NAME: 80185143832KSH_AVG_ISIS2TOPS_24S.OS2BIN *(02) SATELLITE (NAME, HEIGHT[km], GYRO-FREQUENCY[MHz],DIP-ANGLE[DEGREES]): ISIS-2 1410.268 0.811 66.000 *(03) TIME (UT YYYY DOY MM DD HH MM SS; LMT HH MM; GMLT HH MM): 1980 185 07 03 14 38 32 00 40 00 08 *(04) LOCATION[DEGREES] (GG-LATITUDE,LONGITUDE; GM-LATITUDE,LONGITUDE; SHELL): 54.270 150.461 44.707 -148.519 2.567 *(05) SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL PARAMETERS (SUNSPOT NUMBER AND ZENITH[DEGREES]): 152.800 103.000 *(06) SCALING STATUS (TOOL, STATUS-CODE[1,2,3], REMARK): TOPIST_2000.12 1 : AUTO-SCALED *(07) SCALING CONCLUSION (CONCLUSION-CODE, REMARK): 0 SUCCESSFUL INVERSION *(08) SCALED: foF2[MHz], hmF2[km], AND MODELED: foF2[MHz], hmF2[km] 8.080 352.722 7.392 364.059 *(09) RESONANCE & CUTOFF FREQUENCIES[MHz] (FZS,FNS,FTS,FXS,CYCLOTRON HARMONICS): 0.740 1.072 1.345 1.553 0.813 1.626 2.439 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 *(10) FREQUENCY TABLE (INDICES OF SCAN STARTING AND ENDING, FREQUNCY[MHz]): 147 640 0.100 0.108 0.116 0.117 0.124 0.132 0.140 0.148 0.156 0.164 0.171 0.179 0.187 0.195 0.203 0.211 0.219 0.227 0.234 0.242 0.250 0.258 0.266 0.273 0.281 0.289 0.297 0.305 0.312 0.320 0.328 0.336 0.344 0.351 0.359 0.367 0.375 0.383 0.390 0.398 0.406 0.414 0.422 0.429 0.437 0.445 0.453 0.461 0.469 0.476 0.484 0.492 0.500 0.508 0.516 0.524 0.532 0.540 0.548 0.556 0.564 0.572 0.581 0.589 0.597 0.605 0.613 0.621 0.629 0.637 0.645 0.653 0.661 0.669 0.678 0.686 0.694 0.702 0.710 0.718 0.726 0.734 0.742 0.750 0.758 0.766 0.774 0.781 0.789 0.797 0.805 0.813 0.820 0.828 0.836 0.844 0.852 0.859 0.867 0.875 0.883 0.891 0.898 0.906 0.914 0.922 0.930 0.937 0.945 0.953 0.961 0.969 0.976 0.984 0.992 1.000 1.008 1.016 1.024 1.032 1.040 1.048 1.056 1.064 1.072 1.081 1.089 1.097 1.105 1.113 1.121 1.129 1.137 1.145 1.153 1.161 1.169 1.178 1.186 1.194 1.202 1.210 1.218 1.226 1.234 1.242 1.250 1.258 1.266 1.274 1.281 1.289 1.297 1.305 1.313 1.320 1.328 1.336 1.344 1.352 1.359 1.367 1.375 1.383 1.391 1.398 1.406 1.414 1.422 1.430 1.437 1.445 1.453 1.461 1.469 1.476 1.484 1.492 1.500 1.508 1.516 1.524 1.532 1.540 1.548 1.556 1.564 1.572 1.581 1.589 1.597 1.605 1.613 1.621 1.629 1.637 1.645 1.653 1.661 1.669 1.678 1.686 1.694 1.702 1.710 1.718 1.726 1.734 1.742 1.750 1.758 1.766 1.774 1.782 1.790 1.798 1.806 1.814 1.822 1.830 1.838 1.846 1.853 1.861 1.869 1.877 1.885 1.893 1.900 1.908 1.916 1.924 1.931 1.939 1.947 1.954 1.962 1.970 1.977 1.985 1.992 2.000 2.024 2.047 2.071 2.095 2.118 2.142 2.165 2.189 2.212 2.236 2.259 2.283 2.306 2.329 2.353 2.376 2.399 2.423 2.446 2.469 2.493 2.516 2.539 2.562 2.585 2.609 2.632 2.655 2.678 2.701 2.724 2.747 2.770 2.793 2.816 2.839 2.862 2.885 2.908 2.931 2.954 2.977 3.000 3.023 3.046 3.069 3.092 3.114 3.137 3.160 3.183 3.206 3.229 3.251 3.274 3.297 3.320 3.342 3.365 3.388 3.411 3.433 3.456 3.479 3.501 3.524 3.547 3.570 3.592 3.615 3.638 3.660 3.683 3.706 3.728 3.751 3.774 3.796 3.819 3.842 3.864 3.887 3.909 3.932 3.955 3.977 4.000 4.023 4.045 4.068 4.091 4.113 4.136 4.158 4.181 4.204 4.226 4.249 4.272 4.294 4.317 4.340 4.362 4.385 4.408 4.430 4.453 4.476 4.499 4.521 4.544 4.567 4.589 4.612 4.635 4.658 4.680 4.703 4.726 4.749 4.771 4.794 4.817 4.840 4.863 4.886 4.908 4.931 4.954 4.977 5.000 5.045 5.090 5.134 5.179 5.223 5.267 5.311 5.355 5.399 5.442 5.486 5.529 5.573 5.616 5.659 5.702 5.745 5.787 5.830 5.873 5.915 5.958 6.000 6.042 6.084 6.127 6.169 6.211 6.252 6.294 6.336 6.378 6.420 6.461 6.503 6.544 6.586 6.627 6.669 6.710 6.752 6.793 6.835 6.876 6.917 6.959 7.000 7.042 7.084 7.126 7.168 7.210 7.252 7.293 7.335 7.377 7.419 7.461 7.502 7.544 7.586 7.627 7.669 7.711 7.752 7.794 7.835 7.876 7.918 7.959 8.000 8.040 8.080 8.120 8.160 8.200 8.239 8.279 8.319 8.359 8.398 8.438 8.478 8.518 8.558 8.597 8.637 8.677 8.717 8.757 8.798 8.838 8.878 8.919 8.959 9.000 9.041 9.082 9.123 9.164 9.205 9.247 9.289 9.331 9.373 9.415 9.458 9.500 9.543 9.586 9.630 9.673 9.717 9.761 9.806 9.850 9.895 9.941 9.986 10.032 10.078 *(11) TRUE HEIGHT (INDICES OF STARTING AND ENDING FREQUENCIES, HEIGHT[km]): 271 592 1410.2681397.7961387.0711376.6671366.5661356.7531347.2131337.9321328.8971320.095 1311.5151303.1471294.9791286.0181278.2451270.6461263.2111255.9331248.8061241.823 1234.9781228.2641221.6771215.2111208.8621202.6251197.2551191.2161185.2771179.434 1173.6851168.7281163.1441157.6451152.2271146.8881142.2791137.0821131.9561126.901 1121.9141117.6041112.7401107.9381103.1971098.5171094.4691089.8961085.3791080.917 1076.5081072.6931068.3801064.1171059.9041055.7391051.6201047.5481043.5211039.539 1035.6011031.7051027.8521024.0411019.8011016.0761012.3891008.7421005.1331001.562 998.028 994.530 991.069 987.643 984.253 980.896 977.162 973.877 970.626 967.408 964.222 961.068 957.946 954.854 951.794 948.763 945.763 942.792 939.850 936.937 934.052 931.196 928.367 925.566 922.792 920.045 917.324 914.630 912.293 909.647 907.026 904.430 901.858 899.312 897.103 894.601 892.122 889.667 887.537 885.125 882.735 880.662 878.314 875.987 873.969 871.683 869.699 867.451 860.831 854.654 848.376 842.265 836.558 830.753 825.330 819.812 814.653 809.399 804.486 799.479 794.792 790.211 785.538 781.160 776.876 772.502 768.399 764.381 760.273 756.417 752.635 748.925 745.285 741.558 738.052 734.609 731.225 727.899 724.629 721.413 718.249 715.134 712.068 709.049 706.075 703.144 700.256 697.408 694.600 691.830 689.097 686.400 683.737 681.109 678.513 676.059 673.524 671.020 668.544 666.097 663.678 661.389 659.021 656.680 654.363 652.170 649.901 647.655 645.432 643.327 641.147 638.989 636.945 634.828 632.731 630.654 628.686 626.647 624.627 622.712 620.729 618.763 616.900 614.969 613.055 611.241 609.360 607.496 605.729 603.897 602.159 600.358 598.573 596.879 595.123 593.383 591.732 590.020 588.322 586.712 585.042 583.458 581.816 580.187 578.641 577.038 575.448 573.940 572.375 570.823 569.350 567.822 566.306 564.867 563.374 561.893 560.424 559.028 557.580 556.143 554.779 553.363 551.957 550.561 549.236 547.860 546.493 545.136 543.847 542.508 541.178 539.856 538.543 537.239 535.999 534.710 533.429 532.156 530.890 528.433 526.002 523.650 521.266 518.956 516.665 514.391 512.133 509.891 507.711 505.493 503.335 501.136 498.994 496.857 494.725 492.596 490.519 488.392 486.265 484.185 482.053 479.967 477.875 475.777 473.622 471.508 469.386 467.304 465.161 463.006 460.838 458.658 456.515 454.306 452.135 449.895 447.693 445.421 443.186 440.880 438.611 436.270 433.966 431.646 429.251 426.895 424.464 422.015 419.549 417.065 414.564 412.047 409.574 407.025 404.461 401.882 399.289 396.745 394.125 391.491 388.906 386.244 383.565 380.930 378.206 375.514 372.774 369.892 366.956 363.790 360.190 352.721 *(12) PROFILE PARAMETERS (fs[MHz],fm[MHz],RM[km],A(1),...,A(8)[km]): 1.072 8.080 1057.546 -554.335 -389.859 -62.691 -50.046 11.399 -12.550 5.124 -4.588 *(13) PROFILE QUALITY(1~3: 3=BEST), FREQUENCY RANGE[MHz] WITH HIGHER CONFIDENCE: 3 1.072 8.080 *(14) O-TRACE (STARTING AND ENDING FREQUENCY INDICES, SPREAD[km], RANGE[km]): 346 510 11.250 922.500 922.500 922.500 922.500 922.500 922.500 933.750 937.500 937.500 937.500 943.128 945.824 948.520 951.215 953.911 956.606 959.302 961.998 964.693 967.389 970.085 972.780 975.476 977.834 980.530 983.226 985.921 988.617 991.313 993.671 996.367 999.0621001.7581004.1171006.8121009.5081011.8671014.5621017.2581019.617 1023.750 0.000 0.000 952.500 967.500 967.500 967.500 967.500 967.500 967.500 967.500 967.500 967.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 982.500 993.750 997.500 997.500 997.500 997.500 997.500 997.500 997.500 997.500 997.500 997.5001005.0001012.5001012.5001012.5001012.5001012.500 1012.5001012.5001012.5001012.500 0.000 0.0001012.5001012.5001020.0001027.500 1027.500 0.0001027.5001027.5001027.5001027.500 0.0001027.500 0.000 0.000 1027.5001027.5001027.500 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0001042.5001042.5001042.500 1042.5001042.5001042.5001042.5001042.5001042.5001042.5001042.5001042.5001042.500 1042.5001057.5001057.5001053.7501057.5001057.5001057.5001057.500 0.000 0.000 1057.5001057.5001057.5001057.500 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0001072.5001072.5001072.5001072.5001072.5001072.500 0.0001102.500 1102.5001102.5001102.500 0.0001102.5001087.500 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 1087.5001087.5001087.5001083.7501087.500 *(15) X-TRACE (STARTING AND ENDING FREQUENCY INDICES, SPREAD[km], RANGE[km]): 346 607 18.750 757.500 772.500 787.500 787.500 810.000 813.750 817.500 847.500 847.500 855.000 844.229 850.696 857.162 863.629 870.096 876.563 883.029 889.496 895.963 902.430 908.896 915.363 921.830 927.488 933.955 940.422 946.888 953.355 959.822 965.480 971.947 978.414 984.880 990.539 997.0061003.4721009.1311015.5971022.0641027.723 1023.750 0.000 0.0001042.5001042.5001042.5001057.500 0.000 0.0001057.500 1072.5001087.5001087.5001087.5001102.5001102.5001102.5001072.5001072.5001072.500 1087.5001087.5001087.5001083.7501087.5001087.5001087.5001095.0001095.0001087.500 1087.5001087.5001087.5001087.5001087.500 0.0001087.5001087.5001087.5001087.500 1102.5001102.5001098.7501072.5001072.500 0.0001087.5001087.5001095.0001087.500 1087.500 0.0001087.5001095.0001087.5001087.500 0.0001087.500 0.000 0.000 1087.5001102.5001102.500 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0001087.500 0.0001087.5001102.5001098.7501102.5001098.7501102.5001102.5001098.7501102.500 1102.5001102.5001102.5001098.7501102.5001102.5001102.5001102.500 0.000 0.000 1098.750 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0001102.5001102.5001102.5001102.500 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0001117.500 0.000 0.0001087.500 0.000 0.000 0.0001102.5001087.500 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0001102.5001102.5001102.5001102.5001110.0001128.750 1132.5001117.5001117.5001117.5001117.5001132.5001128.7501132.5001132.5001132.500 1132.5001132.5001132.5001132.5001132.500 0.000 0.0001147.5001147.5001147.500 1147.5001147.5001147.5001147.5001162.5001158.7501162.5001162.5001162.5001162.500 1162.5001162.5001177.5001177.5001177.5001177.5001177.5001185.0001177.500 0.000 0.0001207.5001207.5001215.0001222.5001192.5001192.5001192.5001237.5001207.500 1207.5001207.5001207.5001207.5001207.5001222.5001222.5001222.5001230.0001233.750 1237.5001260.0001263.750 0.000 0.0001275.0001278.7501282.5001290.0001293.750 0.0001301.2501305.0001308.7501316.2501320.000 0.0001327.5001335.0001338.750 1342.5001346.250 *(16) GROUND RETURNS FOUND