Field-aligned plasma diffusive fluxes in the topside ionosphere from radio occultation measurements by CHAMP

O+ field-aligned diffusive velocities and fluxes in the topside ionosphere have been calculated from electron density profiles retrieved from CHAMP radio occultation (RO) measurements. The velocities and fluxes from January 2002 to December 2003 at low- and mid-latitudes have been statistically analyzed. The results show that daytime diffusive fluxes changed gradually from downward to upward as altitude increases. The largest values of the upward diffusive fluxes and velocities occurred at around ±25° geomagnetic latitude. During solstices the plasma fluxes in the winter hemisphere were larger than those in the summer hemisphere.