Space weather: its effects and predictability

Terrestrial technology is now, and increasingly, sensitive to space weather. Most space weather is caused by solar storms and the resulting changes to the Earth's radiation environment and the magnetosphere. The Sun as the driver of space weather is under intense observation but remains to be adequately modelled. Recent spacecraft measurements are greatly improving models of solar activity, the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere, and models of the radiation belts. In-situ data updates the basic magnetospheric model to provide specific details of high-energy electron flux at satellite orbits. Shock wave effects at the magnetopause can also be coarsely predicted. However, the specific geomagnetic effects at ground level depend on the calculation of magnetic and electric fields and further improvements are needed. New work on physical models is showing promise of raising geomagnetic and ionospheric predictability above the synoptic climatological level. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

高精度GPS定位的精密电离层模型

在长距离GPS实时动态定位(RTK)过程中,电离层延迟误差是影响定位精度的主要误差源.目前,由于采用全空间电离层模型精度不够,对长距离RTK定位主要采用双差电离层残差内插方式.本文提出一种新的电离层模型.该模型仅对每个卫星轨迹通过的电离层部分进行建模,可适用于高精度GPS定位.采用香港数据,结果表明,该模型可较好地模拟低纬度电离层变化,并可支持GPS厘米级定位精度.     

Study of GNSS-measured ionospheric total electron content variations generated by powerful HF-heating

The purpose of this work is to report the experimental evidences for the influence of perturbations in the electron density in the dayside mid-latitude ionosphere, that are caused by high-frequency heating of the F2 layer, on the GNSS signals. The experiments were carried out at the Sura heater (Radio Physical Research Institute, N. Novgorod). During the sessions of ionospheric heating with different time modulations of the radiated power the rays linking the navigational satellites with the ground receiver intersected the heated region. Variations in the total electron content (TEC) were studied; these variations are proportional to the reduced phases of navigational signals. It is shown that with the square-wave modulation of the radiated power (with periods of 1, 6, 10 and 15 min), perturbations with periods of the main modulation of heating and its harmonics appear in the spectrum of TEC variations. Examples are presented of identification of the heating-induced variations in TEC, including determination of the amplitudes and time characteristics of these variations.     

Initial nighttime ionospheric observations with advanced ionospheric probe onboard FORMOSAT-5

FORMOSAT-5 satellite was launched into a sun-synchronous orbit at 720 km altitude with 98.28° inclination on 25 August 2017. The onboard scientific payload, Advanced Ionospheric Probe (AIP) is capable of measuring topside ionospheric ion density, cross-track flow velocities, ion composition and temperature, and electron temperature. Initial observations of nighttime midlatitude ionospheric density and vertical flow velocity variations at 2230 LT sector during a few quiet magnetic days in December 2017 are studied here. Longitudinal density variations in the equatorward edge of midlatitude ionospheric trough (MIT) region are noticed. Accompanied with this density variation, the vertical flow velocities also behave differently. Although the density difference has been stated due to zonal wind effect related to the declination of the geomagnetic field lines, the vertical flow velocity variation seems to play the opposite role. All these density and vertical flow observations in the northern winter hemisphere can only be explained by the longitudinal differences in the diffusion velocity coming down from the protonsphere (plasmasphere). In addition, the hemispheric asymmetry in the vertical flow velocity can also be explained by the interaction between the topside ionosphere and the protonsphere. The observed vertical flow variations near MIT at different longitudes should present a new potential tool for the study of MIT formation.     

电离层色散对DS/FH-BPSK信号解调性能影响

相位连续的DS/FH(Direct Sequence/Frequency Hopping,直接序列/跳频)扩频信号的扩频带宽比直扩信号更宽,在电离层的非线性相位以及跳频频点变化这两者的共同作用下,该信号的BPSK(Binary Phase Shift Keying,二相相移键控)解调性能明显恶化。依据随机变量概率分布的数学规律,推导得到了在背景电离层色散条件和跳频频点均匀分布前提下,某种DS/FH卫星测控信号的引导信号和长周期信号BPSK误码率的变化规律,并在特定信号参数条件下进行了误码率仿真。     

RTS-20A便携式低温恒温槽

介绍了一种便携式低温恒温槽的工作原理及组成结构，并给出了试验数据。     

End-to-End Modeling of the Solar Terrestrial System

Traditionally modeling for space science has concentrated on developing simulations for individual components of the solar terrestrial system. In reality these regions are coupled together. This coupling can be as simple as the driving of the magnetosphere – ionosphere – thermosphere system by the solar wind or as a complicated as the feedback of the ionospheric conductivity and currents on the magnetosphere. As part of the CISM project we are beginning a concentrated effort to compressively model the entire system. This approach includes chains of models. In the first chain physics based numerical models are utilized while in the second chain empirical models are coupled together. The first half of this paper discusses the numerical modeling approach by highlighting the coupling of pairs of regions within the system. In the second section we present results from empirical models which are combined to make long term forecasts of conditions in the geospace environment. It is expected that a validated and reliable forecast model for space weather can be obtained by combining the strongest elements of each chain.     

45°(N)纬度带的Klobuchar like电离层延迟季节修正模型与评估

电离层延迟是全球卫星导航系统（GNSS）的主要误差源之一。对于装配GNSS单频接收机的航空器,选择简单有效的Klobuchar广播电离层模型来改正电离层延迟误差,其修正率为50%～60%。针对45°（N）纬度带,提出了更高电离层修正需求。考虑到季节因素对中高纬度地区电离层的显著影响,利用GIMs（Global Ionospheric Maps）分析了昼夜中TEC（Total Electron Content）的峰值和谷值随季节（年积日）的变化,建立了一种适用于45°（N）纬度带的Klobuchar like电离层模型。该模型不增加广播模型系数,新模型的夜间和VTEC高峰时电离层修正率分别达到了82%和80%,表明在穿刺点集中的45°(N)纬度地区使用该模型可以更精确地描述该地区的电离层,帮助航空器实现更高精度的定位。     

Ionospheric TEC disturbances over China during the strong geomagnetic storm in September 2017

From September 7 to 8, 2017, a G4-level strong geomagnetic storm occurred, which seriously impacted on the Earth’s ionosphere. In this work, the global ionospheric maps released by Chinese Academy of Sciences are used to investigate the ionospheric responses over China and its adjacent regions during the strong storm. The prominent TEC enhancements, which mainly associated with the neutral wind and eastward prompt penetration electric field, are observed at equatorial ionization anomaly crests during the main phase of the storm on 8 September 2017. Compared with those on 8 September, the TEC enhancements move to lower-latitude regions during the recovery phase on 9 September. A moderate storm occurred well before the start of the strong storm causes similar middle-latitude TEC enhancements on 7 September. However, the weak TEC depletion is observed at middle and low latitude on 9–10 September, which could be associated with the prevailing westward disturbance electric field or storm-time neural composition changes. In addition, the storm-time RMS and STD values of the ionospheric TEC grids over China increase significantly due to the major geomagnetic storm. The maximum of the RMS reaches 12.0 TECU, while the maximum of the STD reaches 8.3 TECU at ~04UT on 8 September.     

Doppler characteristics of HF spread Doppler clutter recorded at Alice Springs,Australia

Mean night-time peak power, Doppler shift and Doppler width of spread Doppler clutter (SDC) received by a high frequency backscatter radar located at Alice Springs, Australia from 2000 to 2018 is presented as a function of azimuth, sunspot number, time of year and frequency. The sampled region covers 90 degrees from West to North and includes the northern and southern equatorial anomalies.SDC peak power diminished across all azimuths during the winter solstice from around May to August (local winter) coinciding with the global decrease in F layer density due to the annual non-seasonal F2 anomaly but was generally constant during the equinoxes. In contrast, SDC Doppler width and inbound Doppler shift both increased during the equinoxes and exhibited azimuthal dependence related to the eastward equatorial plasma drift.SDC peak power increased with increasing sunspot number with frequency dependence during winter but not summer. Inbound Doppler shift and Doppler width increased with increasing sunspot number during equinox but not solstice with a strong dependence on azimuth and a weak dependence on frequency.