Abstract Details


Name: Aswini Thampi S L
Affiliation: Research scholar,Department of Physics, University college,Thiruvananthapuram
Conference ID: TVS202510204
Title: Investigating Ionospheric Response to the October 3, 2024 Solar Flare Over Africa Using Tsallis Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics
Authors and Co-Authors: Dr.Prince P R
Abstract Type: Contributory Presentation
Abstract: Investigating Ionospheric Response to the October 3, 2024 Solar Flare Over Africa Using Tsallis Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics Aswini Thampi S.L, Prince P.R Department of Physics, University college, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram-695034, Kerala, India aswinithampislppd@gmail.com & princerprasad@gmail.com Abstract Solar flares are transient space weather phenomena that can rapidly modify the Earth’s atmosphere and impair space-based technologies. In particular, M- and X-class flares enhance ionization in the ionospheric D region, leading to minor to severe high-frequency (HF) radio blackouts and interruptions in skywave communication. Understanding these short-term ionospheric disturbances is essential both for advancing fundamental knowledge of solar–terrestrial interactions and for improving the reliability of practical applications such as radio communication, satellite positioning, and navigation services. On 3 October 2024, eleven solar flares were recorded, comprising of two C-class, eight M-class, and one X-class events. For this study, the X9.0 and M6.7 flares were analyzed to investigate their impact on ionospheric dynamics. Total electron content (TEC) data from the African sector were examined by comparing flare-day observations with quiet-day median values, revealing percentage deviations of 8% and 10.2% at the selected stations. To isolate micro-scale variations in ionospheric density, the TEC data was detrended, producing residual fluctuations that capture the internal dynamics of the system. These fluctuations were subsequently analyzed within the Tsallis non-extensive statistical mechanics framework using q-Gaussian distributions. The results consistently showed q-values greater than unity, demonstrating non-extensive statistical behavior in the ionospheric response. This study highlights the applicability of Tsallis statistics in characterizing the ionospheric impact of major solar flares and provides insights into the complexity of space weather–ionosphere interactions. Keywords: Solar flares, Ionosphere, Total Electron Content (TEC), Tsallis statistics