电离层闪烁对导航接收机性能的影响

为定量分析电离层闪烁对接收机环路的影响,利用信号在电离层闪烁影响下的等效传输信道模型,通过数值仿真对比分析了电离层闪烁对接收信号幅度、载波相位、码相位、载噪比和I/Q支路跟踪值的性能影响。结果表明：电离层闪烁会使接收载噪比出现深度的快速衰落,严重时会出现高达5dB的突降,从而显著地影响用户的定位性能;在相同的电离层闪烁强度下,较小的环路带宽会发生较弱的载波相位周跳。     

电离层不规则结构对GPS性能的影响

电离层不规则结构的存在可引起无线电信号的幅度和相位发生随机起伏, 这 种电离层闪烁现象会影响全球定位系统(Global Positioning System, GPS)的 性能, 降低定位精度, 严重时导致信号失锁. 电离层不规则结构对GPS性能的 影响涉及电离层物理、接收机设计和表征卫星几何分布的精度衰减因子(Dilution of Positioning, DOP)等多方面因素. 本文通过对表征电离层不规则结构参数 的分析, 根据GPS接收机跟踪环路和闪烁信号模型, 综合研究了电离层闪烁对 GPS接收机载波跟踪环和码跟踪环跟踪误差的影响; 结合实际观测, 评述 了电离层不规则结构对单频和双频GPS接收机定位性能的影响, 在此基础上 提出了有待深入研究的问题及具体建议.      

基于GPS信号的电离层S4指数计算方法研究

电波穿越电离层时,由于受到电离层不均匀结构的影响,电波的幅度、相位、时延等有时会发生快速抖动,这就是所谓的电磁波电离层闪烁现象.电离层闪烁会影响卫星通信系统的质量和导航系统的精度.本文分析了GPS信号研究电离层闪烁的基本原理,讨论了电离层闪烁监测中S4指数的计算方法及其修正方法.通过数据模拟,评估了原始S4指数计算方法及其修正方法的性能特点.针对原始S4指数计算方法及修正方法的不足,提出了一种新的修正方法,并采用实测GPS数据对上述方法进行了检验.结果表明,上述方法是有效的和可靠的.      

星载SAR电离层探测及误差补偿

工作于低频波段的星载合成孔径雷达(SAR)信号会受到电离层的显著影响,因此在系统设计时必须考虑相应的补偿方法。基于此,首先开展了适用于低频大宽带SAR模式的电离层影响评估研究,建立了基于勒让德展开的五阶误差分析模型,可有效解决传统模型各阶次耦合问题。其次,针对背景电离层色散问题,开展了基于双频自聚焦算法的补偿研究,利用ALOS PALSAR数据进行了半物理仿真验证,电离层反演精度优于0.4TECU,可有效提升图像聚焦质量;针对法拉第旋转角误差,利用ALOS PALSAR回波散射矩阵信息开展了补偿研究,结果显示,相比官网提供的补偿参数,误差可进一步降低27%。上述基于回波数据本身的补偿研究,可避免第三方数据精度差、分辨率低、需地面接收机、传播路径不一致等问题,同时降低了载荷成本。最后,结合SAR高分辨率特性,基于回波的电离层反演可有效提高现有电离层探测能力,开展了PALSAR-垂测仪联合反演电子密度研究,其结果比仅垂测仪数据精度普遍提高了30%以上。研究成果可为未来低频星载SAR的系统设计提供技术支撑。     

电离层不规则结构的等效厚度和漂移速度对闪烁功率谱的影响

利用由衍射基本原理导出的有限厚薄相屏弱闪烁信号强度的Fourier功率谱表达式研究了不规则结构等效厚度L和水平漂移速度V对Fourier功率谱的影响。结果表明,L加大,Fresnel振幅变小,Presnel半径不变;V加大,Fresnel振幅不变,Fresnel半径变大。功率极小值相应的频率值之比为1:1:2:3:…:n而不是√2:√3:…:√n,与实测资料分析结果一致。对实测闪烁功率谱进行了数值模拟。由此得到了实际电离层不规则结构等效厚度、漂移速度的数值。      

星载聚束式SAR天线波束指向控制分析

建立了波束控制条件下的星载聚束式SAR的天线指向及成像数学模型,证实天线波束指向被控造成回波信号的幅度调制,引起成对回波,从而影响成像质量.此外,分析了波束指向控制比率与测绘带方位宽度、图像动态范围的制约关系,提出设计星载聚束式 SAR天线波束指向控制比率的基本原则.最后,通过计算机仿真,验证了理论分析的正确性.      

电离层虚高的高精度测量与分析

为了提高电离层虚高测量精度,介绍了利用电离层回波相位实现高精度虚高测量的方法,并以CADI(Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosonde)电离层数字测高仪为研究平台,进行组合脉冲控制和回波相位测量分析,开展了一系列虚高测量实验,并与传统的利用回波时间延迟的虚高测量方法进行了分析比较.实验结果表明,基于回波相位的测量分析方法与回波时延测量分析方法相比,其虚高测量精度高一个量级以上,这对精确反演电离层峰下电子浓度剖面及研究电离层精细结构具有重要意义.      

一种星载SAR模糊区回波信号仿真方法

模糊度是星载合成孔径雷达(SAR,Synthetic Aperture Radar)星地一体化系统方案设计中的重要技术指标.为了定量化研究模糊度对图像质量的影响,提出了一种星载SAR模糊区回波信号的仿真方法.该方法采用星载SAR模糊区回波信号模型.利用该方法生成包含观测区场景和模糊区场景的星载SAR回波信号,经成像处理后可以获得具有模糊特性的SAR图像.该仿真方法为定量化研究模糊度与图像质量之间的关系提供仿真工具,它能够反映模糊区目标的图形特征,为SAR图像的解译判读提供参考依据.计算机仿真结果验证了该方法的有效性.      

基于多通道天线高分辨率星载SAR 实现方法研究

对基于多通道天线实现高分辨率星载SAR的方法进行了深入研究,建立了三通道天线SAR的回波信号模型,提出了一种回波处理方式,将单发三收模式下的回波数据转变为传统的单发单收模式下的回波数据,可用常规条带式成像方法进行成像处理.对采用多通道天线实现高分辨率星载SAR涉及到的脉冲重复频率PRF偏离问题进行了深入分析和研究,推导出PRF偏离造成的虚假目标的理论位置和虚假目标与真实目标的峰值功率比值,计算机仿真试验证明了上述内容的有效性.      

一种分布式小卫星SAR单视复图像信号仿真方法

总结了分布式小卫星合成孔径雷达(DSS-SAR,Distributed Small Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar)回波信号仿真所需具备的基本功能.给出了DSS-SAR的空间几何模型和信号模型.空间几何模型由描述小卫星编队构形的Hill方程给出,信号模型由单视复图像信号模型、信号相关性模型和干涉相位的统计特性共同描述.结合空间几何模型和单视复图像信号模型,提出了一种简洁的DSS-SAR单视复图像信号的仿真方法.该仿真方法中,小卫星的空间位置是根据虚拟中心空间位置和小卫星的编队构形计算得到,因此仿真时能够任意设置小卫星群的编队构形.通过对圆锥三维地形和平地两种地面场景的进行回波信号仿真,结果表明该仿真方法不但能够实现DSS-SAR信号仿真必须具备的功能,而且还具有实现简洁、误差加入方便等优点.      

Simulation and analysis of chemical release in the ionosphere

Ionospheric inhomogeneous plasma produced by single point chemical release has simple space-time structure, and cannot impact radio wave frequencies higher than Very High Frequency (VHF) band. In order to produce more complicated ionospheric plasma perturbation structure and trigger instabilities phenomena, multiple-point chemical release scheme is presented in this paper. The effects of chemical release on low latitude ionospheric plasma are estimated by linear instability growth rate theory that high growth rate represents high irregularities, ionospheric scintillation occurrence probability and high scintillation intension in scintillation duration. The amplitude scintillations and the phase scintillations of 150?MHz, 400?MHz, and 1000?MHz are calculated based on the theory of multiple phase screen (MPS), when they propagate through the disturbed area.     

GPS scintillation and TEC gradients at equatorial latitudes in April 2006

We use observations of ionospheric scintillation at equatorial latitudes from two GPS receivers specially modified for recording, at a sampling rate of 50 Hz, the phase and the amplitude of the L1 signal and the Total Electron Content (TEC) from L1 and L2. The receivers, called GISTM (GPS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC Monitor), are located in Vietnam (Hue, 16.4°N, 107.6°E; Hoc Mon, 10.9°N, 106.6°E). These experimental observations are analysed together with the tomographic reconstruction of the ionosphere produced by the Multi-Instrument Data Analysis System (MIDAS) for investigating the moderate geomagnetic storm which occurred on early April 2006, under low solar activity. The synergic adoption of the ionospheric imaging and of the GISTM measurements supports the identification of the scale-sizes of the ionospheric irregularities causing scintillations and helps the interpretation of the physical mechanisms generating or inhibiting the appearance of the equatorial F layer irregularities. In particular, our study attributes to the turning of the IMF (Interplanetary Magnetic Field) between northward and southward direction an important role in the inhibition of the generation of spread F irregularities resulting in a lack of scintillation enhancement in the post-sunset hours.     

Fading in the HF ionospheric channel and the role of irregularities

It is well known that the ionosphere affects radio wave propagation especially in the high frequency (HF) range. HF radio waves reflected by the ionosphere can reach considerable distances, often with changes in amplitude, phase, and frequency. The ionosphere is a dispersive in frequency and time, bi-refractive, absorbing medium, in which multipath propagation due to traveling irregularities is very frequent. The traveling irregularities undulate the reflecting ionospheric layer, introducing variations in signal amplitude (fading). In this multipath time variant channel fading is mainly considered, even though it is not the sole effect. Echo signals from a single reflection, as in ionospheric vertical sounding (VIS) techniques, are affected by a certain degree of variability even in quiet ionospheric conditions. In this work the behavior of the ionospheric channel is studied and characterized by observing the power variation of received echoes using the VIS technique. Multipath fading was analyzed quantifying the power variation of the signal echo due to irregularities on a temporal scale from 0.5 to 256 s. An experimental set-up derived from an ionosonde was implemented and the analysis was performed employing a special numerical algorithm operating off-line on the acquired time sequence of the signal. The gain-loss of the irregularity shapes are determined in some special cases.     

Characterization of ionospheric amplitude scintillations using wavelet entropy detrended GNSS data

The extensive monitoring networks of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ionospheric scintillation have been established to continuously log observation data. Further, the amplitude scintillation index and the phase scintillation index, which are derived from scintillation observations, are anticipated to accommodate the accuracy requirement of both the user level and the monitoring station level. However, raw scintillation observations essentially measure superposed waveform impairments of GNSS signals propagating through ionosphere and troposphere. It implies that fluctuations of raw scintillation observations are caused by multiple factors from the entire radio propagation environment. Hence, it is crucial to characterize ionospheric scintillations from GNSS observation data. And the characterization is implemented through extracting fluctuations of raw observations merely induced by ionospheric scintillations. Designed to address this problem by means of Fourier filtering detrending, the present work investigates the influence of varying detrending cutoff frequencies on wavelet statistical energy and wavelet entropy distributions of scintillation data. It consequently derives criteria on the optimum detrending cutoff frequency for three types of raw amplitude scintillation data, which are classified by their wavelet energy distributions. Results of the present work verify that detrending with specific optimum cutoff frequencies rather than the fixed and universally applicable one renders the validity and credibility of characterizing ionospheric scintillations as the part of GNSS observation fluctuations purely induced by ionosphere electron density irregularities whose scale sizes are comparable with or smaller than the Fresnel scale.     

Near real-time PPP-based monitoring of the ionosphere using dual-frequency GPS/BDS/Galileo data

Ionosphere delay is very important to GNSS observations, since it is one of the main error sources which have to be mitigated even eliminated in order to determine reliable and precise positions. The ionosphere is a dispersive medium to radio signal, so the value of the group delay or phase advance of GNSS radio signal depends on the signal frequency. Ground-based GNSS stations have been used for ionosphere monitoring and modeling for a long time. In this paper we will introduce a novel approach suitable for single-receiver operation based on the precise point positioning (PPP) technique. One of the main characteristic is that only carrier-phase observations are used to avoid particular effects of pseudorange observations. The technique consists of introducing ionosphere ambiguity parameters obtained from PPP filter into the geometry-free combination of observations to estimate ionospheric delays. Observational data from stations that are capable of tracking the GPS/BDS/GALILEO from the International GNSS Service (IGS) Multi-GNSS Experiments (MGEX) network are processed. For the purpose of performance validation, ionospheric delays series derived from the novel approach are compared with the global ionospheric map (GIM) from Ionospheric Associate Analysis Centers (IAACs). The results are encouraging and offer potential solutions to the near real-time ionosphere monitoring.     

Investigation of ionospheric irregularities and scintillation using TEC at high latitude

The occurrence of ionospheric irregularities at high latitudes, with dimensions of several kms down to decameter scale size shows strong correlation with geomagnetic disturbance, season and solar activity. Transionospheric radio waves propagating through these irregularities experience rapid random fluctuations in phase and/or amplitude of the signal at the receiver, termed scintillation, which can degrade GNSS services. Thus, investigation and prediction of this scintillation effect is very important. To investigate such scintillation effects, a GISTM (GPS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC Monitoring) NovAtel dual frequency (L1/L2) GPS receiver has been installed at Trondheim, Norway (63.41°$63.41°$ N, 10.4°$10.4°$ E), capable of collecting scintillation indices at a 1 min rate as well as the raw data (phase and intensity) of the satellite signals at a 50 Hz sampling rate and TEC (Total Electron Content) at a 1 Hz rate. Many researchers have reported that both phase and amplitude scintillation is closely associated with TEC fluctuations or associated with a significant developing enhancement or depletion in the TEC. In this study, a novel analogous phase index is developed which provides samples at a 1 min rate. Generally the scintillation indices can help in estimating the irregularity scintillation effect at a one minute rate, but such procedures are time consuming if DFTs of the phase and/or amplitude at a 50 Hz data are required. In this study, instead, this analogous phase index is estimated from 1 Hz rate TEC values obtained from the raw signals and is then compared for weak, moderate and strong scintillation at Trondheim for one year of data collected from the installed GPS receiver. The spectral index of the irregularities (that is the inverse power law of their spatial spectrum) is determined from the resultant phase scintillation psd. The correlations of the scintillation indices and spectral indices with the analogous phase index have been investigated under different geomagnetic conditions (represented by the Kp index) and an approximate linear correlation of phase scintillation with the analogous phase index was found. Then a principal advantage of this index is that it achieves this correlation without requiring a high sampling data rate and the need for DFTs. Thus, the index seems a good candidate for developing a simple means of ionospheric scintillation prediction which could also be utilized in the development of alerts using regional mappings.     

太阳活动低年广州地区地磁扰动与电离层闪烁的统计特征分析

基于肇庆地磁台的地磁监测数据和广州气象卫星地面站建立的华南地区GPS电离层闪烁监测网的监测数据, 统计分析了2008年7月至2010年7月太阳活动低年期间广州地区地磁扰动与电离层闪烁的关系. 用肇庆台地磁水平分量H的变化量换算出肇庆地磁指数K, 以此来代表广州地区地磁扰动情况.分析结果表明, 磁暴/强地磁扰动对广州地区电离层闪烁的发生总体表现为抑制作用, 电离层闪烁主要发生在低K值期间, 而在K ≥ 4时电离层闪烁的发生呈下降趋势. 电离层闪烁发生率随季节和地磁活动的变化规律表现在, 春季的弱闪烁发生率、夜间中等以上闪烁发生率和夏季中等以上闪烁的发生率明显与地磁活动指数K相关, 即随$K$指数的增大而减小; 在秋季和冬季闪烁发生率与K指数变化无明显关系. 同时还综合分析了地磁与太阳活动的变化对电离层活动的影响, 广州地区闪烁主要发生在太阳活动较低的磁静日期间.