Studies of the ionospheric D-region using partial reflections in spring 2004 at middle and high latitudes

Results of the observations of the ionospheric effects of two solar flares in April 2004 performed using partial reflections are presented. The studies were carried out at the measuring facilities located in different latitudinal regions: at Vasil’sursk station in the Nizhni Novgorod region and at Tumannyi station in the Murmansk region. The quantitative estimates of the electron density in the polar and midlatitude D region under quiet conditions and during solar flares were obtained. The correlation between rapid variations in electron concentration at heights of about 80 km at these stations was found and it was shown that during solar flares the electron density at heights of 60–70 km corresponds to the intensity of the X-ray flux in the range of 0.5–3 Å, which points to the action of the linear law of recombination in the ionospheric D region.