CNOFS CINDI IVM: 500 ms Ion Drift Data from the Equatorial Ionosphere

Eight primary geophysical parameters from the equatorial F-region ionosphere are measured by the Ion Velocity Meter on the CNOFS spacecraft. Data are provided in daily HDF files by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with an IDL program for reading and plotting. Ion velocities are also available in magnetic field coordinates based on the IGRF model.

Use Cases

• Modeling ionospheric plasma dynamics based on ion temperature and flow velocity data.
• Studying space weather effects on satellite communications based on total ion density and individual ion concentrations.
• Analyzing ion drift patterns relative to the magnetic field based on parallel, perpendicular, and meridional velocity components.

Strengths

• Provides eight primary geophysical parameters, including ion temperature, three-directional flow velocities, and individual ion concentrations.
• Data is transformed into magnetic field coordinates using the IGRF model when all three spacecraft coordinate velocities are available and good.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by the Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) of the CINDI payload on board the CNOFS spacecraft.

Time Range

Data are available in daily files.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 11:09:58.206904; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Equatorial F-region of the ionosphere.