After sunset, in the equatorial regions ionospheric plasma irregularities are generated due to the generalized Rayleigh‐Taylor instability. Under favorable conditions these irregularities develop in the equatorial region while mapping along the magnetic field lines giving rise to large plasma depletion structures called Equatorial Plasma Bubbles with embedded smaller structures on their walls. The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) L1 band frequency is sensitive to irregularities of the size of 300–400 m in the first Fresnel zone, which cause scattering and diffraction of the signal and produce amplitude and/or phase scintillation. Severe scintillation of GNSS signals can in turn cause loss of lock of the receiver code and/or carrier loops. As a result, GNSS navigation and positioning solution can be adversely affected by the ionospheric scintillation. There are multiple GNSS receivers designed to monitor scintillations. These receivers are based on different hardware designs and use different methodologies to process the raw data. When using simultaneous data from different GNSS scintillation monitors it is important to evaluate and compare their performances under similar scintillation conditions. The scintillation monitoring techniques may be useful for many applications that use GNSS signal. The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of six different GNSS receivers located at São José dos Campos (23.1°S, 45.8°W, dip latitude 17.3°S) during moderate and strong scintillation activity. The amplitude (S4) and phase (σϕ) scintillation indexes from these receivers were analyzed and compared for the nights February 20–21 and November 27–28, 2013.
While low and high‐latitude ionospheric scintillation have been extensively reported, significantly less information is available about the properties of and conditions leading to mid‐latitude scintillations. Here, we report and discuss scintillation observations made in the Southern United States (UT Dallas, 32.99°N, 96.76°W, 43.2°N dip latitude) on June 1st, 2013. The measurements were made by a specialized dual‐frequency GPS‐based scintillation monitor which allowed us to determine main properties of this mid‐latitude scintillation event. Additionally, simultaneous airglow observations and ionospheric total electron content (TEC) maps provided insight on the conditions leading to observed scintillations. Moderate amplitude scintillations (S4>∼0.4) occurred in both L1 and L2C signals, and severe (S4 > ∼0.8) events occurred in L2C signals at low (<30°) elevation angles. Phase scintillation accompanied amplitude fadings, with maximum σϕvalues exceeding 0.5 radians in L2C. We also show that the observed phase scintillation magnitudes increased with amplitude scintillation severity. Decorrelation times were mostly between 0.25 and 1.25 s, with mean value around 0.65 s for both L1 and L2C. Frequency scaling of S4matched fairly well the predictions of weak scattering theory but held for observations of moderate and strong amplitude scintillation as well. Scintillation occurred during the main phase of a modest magnetic storm that, nevertheless, prompted an extreme equatorward movement of the mid‐latitude trough and large background TEC enhancements over the US. Scintillations, however, occurred within TEC and airglow depletions observed over Texas. Finally, scintillation properties including severity and rapidity, and associated TEC signatures are comparable to those associated with equatorial spread F.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 2035267
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10374703
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Space Weather
- Volume:
- 19
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 1542-7390
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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