Digital Communication Systems in Impulsive Atmospheric Radio Noise

Analyses are presented of the performance of binary and M-ary coherent and noncoherent communication systems operating in the impulsive atmospheric radio noise environment. The receiver is usually a maximum likelihood detector for white Gaussian interference and therefore has the form of a parallel bank of matched filters followed by decision circuitry. By employing a Poisson or generalized Shot noise model for the impulsive noise with a suitable probability density function (pdf), closed-form expressions and bounds of error probabilities for M-ary noncoherent and coherent amplitude-shift keying (ASK), phase-shift keying (PSK), and frequency-shift keying (FSK) systems are obtained and the results discussed.     

Error Covariance Analysis of a Karhunen-Loeve Collocation Estimator

An error covariance analysis of a two-dimensional gravity compensation technique (KLC) employing a Karhunen-Loeve gravity disturbance model and the linear least-square collocation algorithm for its estimation is presented, without actually using any data. Its performance is compared with another gravity compensation technique (KLE), whose error covariance analysis was previously presented by Gupta. From the mismodeling analysis, KLC appears to be superior to KLE.     

Development of digital interactive processing system for NOAA satellites AVHRR data

The paper discusses the digital image processing system for NOAA/AVHRR data including Land applications — configured around VAX 11/750 host computer supported with FPS 100 Array Processor, Comtal graphic display and HP Plotting devices; wherein the system software for relational Data Base together with query and editing facilities, Man-Machine Interface using form, menu and prompt inputs including validation of user entries for data type and range; preprocessing software for data calibration, Sun-angle correction, Geometric Corrections for Earth curvature effect and Earth rotation offsets and Earth location of AVHRR image have been accomplished. The implemented image enhancement techniques such as grey level stretching, histogram equalization and convolution are discussed. The software implementation details for the computation of vegetative index and normalized vegetative index using NOAA/AVHRR channels 1 and 2 data together with output are presented; scientific background for such computations and obtainability of similar indices from Landsat/MSS data are also included. The paper concludes by specifying the further software developments planned and the progress envisaged in the field of vegetation index studies.     

Meteorological effects observed in the D-region of the equatorial ionosphere

Electron density values were measured during morning hours over Thumba. The results show that electron density in mesosphere is more during summer than during winter for same solar zenith angle. The temperature measurements carried out on the same day during night hours show that mesosphere is hotter in winter and cooler in summer over Thumba. The electron density and temperature are anti-correlated. The results are explained in terms of temperature effects and other meteorological effects.     

The resonance cone technique for exciting electron acoustic waves in equatorial ionosphere

A rocketborne R.F. resonance cone technique is discussed in this paper. The technique is ideal over the geomagnetic equator where the earth's magnetic field is horizontal. The R.F. exciter is fixed along the axis of the rocket. By measuring the semi-angle of this cone various plasma parameters can be derived, such as electron density and temperature.     

Adaptive Arrays for Multiple Simultaneous Desired Signals

Steered beam adaptive arrays for multiple simultaneous desired signals are discussed. It is shown that the performance of a steered beam adaptive array depends upon the range of input signal strengths and the choice of the steering vector. Optimum steering vectors for various input signal strengths are given. All choices of steering vectors are equally effective in the rejection of jammers.     

Two-State Feedback Loop Adaptive Arrays for Pulsed Interference Signals

A two-state feedback loop is presented which increases the effectiveness of an adaptive array in the presence of pulsed interference signals. In the case of the two-state feedback loop, one state permits the maximum adpative response, consistent with the loop stability, and is activated in the presence of an interfering pulse. During the other state, which is activated when the interfering pulse is off, the weights are frozen at the values reached at the end of the last interfering pulse and are maintained until the next disturbance occurs. It is shown that an adaptive array with the proposed two-state loops steers permanent minima in the direction of the interfering signals, irrespective of their duty cycle. The performance of a communication system protected by such an adaptive array improves significantly over one protected by a conventional adaptive array.     

A Modified Discrete Karhunen-Loeve Random Field Estimator

Based upon the modified Karhunen-Loeve model of the gravity disturbance vector proposed by us recently, a corresponding Karhunen-Loeve random field estimator is developed in this paper for a two-dimensional grid of gravity data in a local finite region.The new eigenvectors obey the "required" orthogonality relations on the chosen grid provided the KL expansion is now separated into odd and even integers. The closed-form solution of the estimator isthen obtained under the "diagonal" assumption for the gain coefficients. It is shown that this assumption, without which nosolution is possible, enables the estimator to reproduce the data atgrid points when the noise in the data is absent and the number of terms in the Karhunen-Loeve expansion are equal to the number of grid points.     

Constraining Fundamental Constants of Physics with Quasar Absorption Line Systems

We summarize the attempts by our group and others to derive constraints on variations of fundamental constants over cosmic time using quasar absorption lines. Most upper limits reside in the range 0.5–1.5×10^?5 at the 3σ level over a redshift range of approximately 0.5–2.5 for the fine-structure constant, α, the proton-to-electron mass ratio, μ and a combination of the proton gyromagnetic factor and the two previous constants, g _p(α ²/μ) ^ν , for only one claimed variation of α. It is therefore very important to perform new measurements to improve the sensitivity of the numerous methods to at least <0.1×10^?5 which should be possible in the next few years. Future instrumentations on ELTs in the optical and/or ALMA, EVLA and SKA pathfinders in the radio will undoutedly boost this field by allowing to reach much better signal-to-noise ratios at higher spectral resolution and to perform measurements on molecules in the ISM of high redshift galaxies.     

Structure of the equatorial lower ionosphere from the Thumba Langmuir probe experiments

A Langmuir probe designed and developed at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad has been used on a variety of rockets since 1966 from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, TERLS (8°31'N, 76°52'E, dip.lat. 0°47'S) to study the structure of the equatorial lower ionosphere. Good quality data is available from a set of twenty five rocket flights conducted during the period 1966 to 1978. This data has been obtained using a single standardised instrument at a single location and using a uniform procedure for data reading and analysis, and adopting a calibration procedure to convert the measured probe currents into electron densities which involves a height dependent calibration factor. The data has been used to establish the gross features of the equatorial lower ionosphere under daytime, night time, morning twilight and evening twilight periods.