Validation of the STORM model in IRI-2001 at a high latitude station

The International Reference Ionosphere IRI-2001 model contains geomagnetic activity dependence based on an empirical storm time ionospheric correction (STORM model). An extensive validation of the STORM model for the middle latitude region has been performed. In this paper the ability of the STORM model to predict foF2 values at high latitudes is analyzed. For this, ionosonde data obtained at Base Gral. San Martin (68.1°S, 293°E) are compared with those obtained by the IRI-2001 model with or without storm correction during four geomagnetic storms that occurred in 2000 (Rz₁₂ = 117) and 2001 (Rz₁₂ = 111). The results show that predicted values with the STORM model follow the behaviour of foF2 experimental data better than without the STORM model. The relative deviation between measured and predicted foF2 reaches values of up to 24% and 43% with and without the STORM model in IRI-2001, during the main phase of the storms. In order to explain increases of electron density that occurred prior to the storm onset and also decreases of electron density observed during the first part of the recovery of the storm, possible physical mechanisms are discussed.     

A model for calculating the vertical distribution of the atmospheric electric potential in the exchange layer in a maritime clean atmosphere

A theoretical model is developed for calculating the vertical distribution of atmospheric electric potential in exchange layer of maritime clean atmosphere. The transport of space charge in electrode layer acts as a convective generator in this model and plays a major role in determining potential distribution in vertical. Eddy diffusion is the main mechanism responsible for the distribution of space charge in vertical. Our results show that potential at a particular level increases with increase in the strength of eddy diffusion under similar conditions. A method is suggested to estimate columnar resistance, the ionospheric potential and the vertical atmospheric electric potential distribution in exchange layer from measurements of total air-earth current density and surface electric field made over oceans. The results are validated and found to be in very good agreement with the previous aircraft measurements. Different parameters involved in the proposed methodology can be determined either theoretically, as in the present work, or experimentally using the near surface atmospheric electrical measurements or using some other surface-based measurement technique such as LIDAR. A graphical relationship between the atmospheric eddy diffusion coefficient and height of exchange layer obtained from atmospheric electrical approach, is reported.     

一种保持图像纹理的去噪方法

总变分去噪方法自提出以来得到了广泛的发展,该方法处理的数字图像收敛于一个分段光滑的函数,这导致图像纹理特征的大量丢失。将图像视为结构和纹理的组合,定义能够分辨纹理特征的局部方差,并利用定义的局部方差限制总变差保真项,进而在去除噪声的同时很好地保持了图像的纹理特征。针对各类图像进行了仿真试验,结果表明提出的方法是有效可行的。     

Non-Gaussian clutter characterization applied to OTHR using a mixture of two Rayleigh probability density functions

A practical technique for characterizing non-Gaussian radar clutter is specified and demonstrated using Over The Horizon Radar (OTHR) data, as an example. The technique employs maximum likelihood to fit the probability density of the clutter amplitude returns to a mixture of two Rayleigh probability densities instead of the single Rayleigh density typically used for Gaussian clutter. This model for non-Gaussian clutter is fully specified for any set of clutter amplitudes by a log likelihood, two Rayleigh parameters, and a mixing coefficient. A 3D plot of these values yields an easily-visualized clutter characterization, as is illustrated using OTHR data. This technique is a demonstration of clutter characterization using OTHR data, but the method can be applied to characterize other types of clutter data.     

An improved approach to model ionospheric delays for single-frequency Precise Point Positioning

PPP with low-cost, single-frequency receivers has been receiving increasing interest in recent years because of its large amount of possible users. One crucial issue in single-frequency PPP is the mitigation of ionospheric delays which cannot be removed by combining observations on different frequencies. For this purpose, several approaches have been developed, such as, the approach using ionospheric model corrections with proper weight, the GRAPHIC (Group and Phase Ionosphere Calibration) approach, and the method to model ionospheric delays over a station with a low polynomial or stochastic process. From our investigation on the stochastic characteristics of the ionospheric delay over a station, it cannot be precisely represented by either a deterministic model in the form of a low-order polynomial or a stochastic process for each satellite, because of its strong irregular spatial and temporal variations. Therefore, a novel approach is developed accordingly in which the deterministic representation is further refined by a stochastic process for each satellite with an empirical model for its power density. Furthermore, ionospheric delay corrections from a constructed model using GNSS data are also included as pseudo-observations for a better solution. A large data set collected from about 200 IGS stations over one month in 2010 is processed with the new approach and several commonly adopted approaches for validation. The results show its significant improvements in terms of positioning accuracy and convergence time with a negligible extra processing time, which is also demonstrated by data collected with a low-cost, handheld, single-frequency receiver.     

Ionospheric slab thickness – Analysis, modelling and monitoring

A review of the climatological and storm-time behaviour of the ionospheric slab thickness is presented based on long-time observations at a European mid-latitude site, Dourbes (50.1°N, 04.6°E), and on published results from other studies. An operational electron density and slab thickness monitoring system, established to provide real-time characterisation of the local ionospheric dynamics, is outlined together with some exemplary results.     

Physical and model interpretation of HF radio propagation on the St. Petersburg–Longyearbyen (Svalbard) path

HF radio wave observations have been carried out with an oblique ionospheric sounding (OIS) method on the radio path from St. Petersburg to Longyearbyen (Svalbard), and experimental ionograms were obtained for December 2001. These ionograms have been analysed to investigate the impact of the main ionospheric trough (MIT) and magnetic disturbances on the signals on this path. The observations during weakly disturbed (K_р = 2) magnetic conditions on 14–15 December 2001 were compared with predictions from ray-tracing through a numerical model of the ionosphere. The ray-tracing computer program synthesizes the OIS ionograms by means of the “shooting method”. This method calculates trajectories of HF radio waves for different values of elevation angle and transmission frequency. There was a variety of calculated trajectories, from which we choose those which reach the receiver, and the selected paths provide a synthesis of the oblique ionograms. To simulate HF radio wave propagation, we apply a three-dimensional distribution of the electron density calculated with the mathematical model of the high-latitude ionosphere developed in the Polar Geophysical Institute (PGI). These numerical simulations permit us to interpret specific peculiarities of the OIS data such as abnormal propagation modes, increased delays of signals, enhanced MOF (maximum observed frequency) values etc. New results of the study are summarised as follows. (1) An unusual feature of the propagation along the path is the change of propagation mechanism during substorms on entering a path midpoint (or 1-hop reflection point) to the MIT. (2) Even weak substorms, having the distinguished intensities, lead to the appearance of different types of irregularities observed by the CUTLASS radar and therefore to the different propagation modes and F2MOF values. (3) The PGI model of the ionosphere was first used for ray-tracing at high latitudes. The model results are basically in a good qualitative agreement with experimental observations. This model provides the satisfactory agreement between the calculated and experimental F2MOF values while not correctly representing the fine structure of the experimental OIS ionograms at night. An agreement between the calculated and experimental data is better for day and evening hours than at night.     

基于Maxwell的电动汽车轮毂电机电磁损耗特性分析

电动汽车轮毂电机经常要在复杂的运行工况和恶劣环境下运行,导致轮毂电机电流和内部电磁损耗不断发生变化,对电机温升分析和可靠运行产生严重影响。以1台4 kW轮毂电机为例,利用Maxwell电磁有限元分析软件,建立轮毂电机的电磁有限元模型并对电磁场进行计算。通过选取加速和过载中常见的8种工况进行计算,分析了轮毂电机各部件的电磁损耗分布状态和数值变化规律。由分析结果可知,定子铁耗随转速的上升而增加,随过载倍数增加的变化不大;转子产生的铁心损耗可以忽略不计;永磁体涡流损耗同时随着加速和过载的增加而增加,但加速工况产生的影响更强;绕组铜耗主要受过载倍数变化的影响,占总损耗的比重最大,是主要热源。研究结果为轮毂电机温度场的分析和冷却结构的设计提供重要的参考依据。     

瞬态热应力问题的组合杂交有限元方法

求解瞬态热应力问题的杂交元方法面临Ladyshenskaya-Babuska-Brezzi(LBB)条件的检查,其稳定性难以保证,从而提出瞬态热应力问题的组合杂交有限元方法。建立瞬态热应力问题的基于区域分解的组合杂交变分原理及其有限元离散;通过数值算例验证求解瞬态热应力问题的组合杂交元的数值性能。结果表明:在大宽厚比网格下,八节点六面体组合杂交元(CHH(0-1))可以获得与二十节点六面体元(B20)精度相当的位移计算结果和更好的应力计算结果。     

新乡上空电离层总电子含量的经验模式

基于电离层总电子含量与太阳活动性之间的线性相关关系,利用在新乡长期测量所得的电离层总电子含量的资料,得出了总电子含量的一种经验模式。