Development and performance evaluation of tropospheric scintillation model on Ku-band satellite link over Akure,Nigeria

Existing amplitude scintillation prediction models often perform less satisfactorily when deployed outside the regions where they were formulated. This necessitates the need to evaluate the performance of scintillation models developed in one region using data data from other regions while documenting their relative errors. Due to its variation with elevation angle, frequency, other link parameters and meteorological factors, we employed three years (January 2016 to December 2018) of concurrently measured satellite radio beacons and tropospheric weather parameters to develop a location-based amplitude scintillation prediction model over the Earth-space path of Akure (7.17^oN, 5.18^oE), South-western Nigeria. The satellite beacon measurement used Tektronix Y400 NetTek Analyzer at 1 s integration time while meteorological parameters, namely; temperature, pressure and relative humidity were measured using Davis Vantage Vue weather station at 1 min integration time. Comparative study of the model’s performance with nine (9) existing scintillation prediction models indicates that the best and worst performing models, in terms of root mean square error (RMSE), are the Statistical Temperature and Refractivity (STN) and direct physical and statistical prediction (DPSP) models with values 11.48 and 51.03 respectively. Also, worst month analysis indicates that April, with respective enhancement and fade values of 0.88 and 0.90 dB for 0.01% exceedance, is the overall worst calendar month for amplitude scintillation.     

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.     

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.     

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。     

根据行星际闪烁(IPS)的双频互谱估计太阳风速度

本文讨论了观测频率为232MHz和327MHz时,利用互谱的方法估计太阳风速度的可能性、考虑路径积分效应,结果表明在17°≤ε≤50°范围内,对于几种可能的太阳风速度分布,由互谱所得结果与太阳风速度值差别小于15%.      

海南地区电离层闪烁监测及初步统计分析

为开展赤道区的电离层闪烁形态特性及相关物理过程的研究,空间中心海南台站建立了一套GPS电离层闪烁监测系统．该系统是利用Plessey GPS Builder-2系统开发的,对软件的源码进行了修改,使其能以高采样率(50／s)同时并行记录11个通道GPS信号强度数据．对2003年7—12月间L-波段电离层闪烁事件的初步统计分析结果表明,电离层闪烁主要发生在日落后到午夜附近,其中9—11月较7—8月闪烁发生和结束的时间明显提前;电离层闪烁发生的频率和强度在9—11月较其他月份明显增强,其中10月达到最大;电离层闪烁的逐日变化具有很强的随机性,闪烁的发生在秋分附近9月底到10月中旬的磁静日期间达到最大;太阳和地磁活动的增强通常会抑制电离层闪烁的发生,这种情形在秋分附近尤为明显．     

星载单频GPS数据的电离层延迟改正方法分析

利用C/A码单点定位对LEO(Low Earth Orbit)卫星上的电离层延迟改正方法——"电离层比例因子法"进行了分析研究.计算的CHAMP卫星的轨道结果表明:采用电子密度峰值高度(hmF2,F2 region maximum electron density height)平均值和瞬时值计算的电离层比例因子α变化范围分别为0.3~0.4和0.2~0.65之间,两者最大差异可达0.3,相比较而言,hmF2瞬时值的结果更加合理,并且相应的大地高H方向的系统偏差要降低0.05~0.3m左右;与双频无电离层组合的普通单点定位结果相比表明该方法能较好地消除电离层一阶项所引入的H方向上的系统偏差;该方法适用的LEO卫星轨道高度范围大致在200~ 600km之间,当轨道高度超过700km时,该方法并不适用.     

Response of Hainan GPS ionospheric scintillations to the different strong magnetic storm conditions

Using the GPS ionospheric scintillation data at Hainan station (19.5°N, 109.1°E) in the eastern Asia equatorial regions and relevant ionospheric and geomagnetic data from July 2003 to June 2005, we investigate the response of L-band ionospheric scintillation activity over this region to different strong magnetic storm conditions (Dst < −100 nT) during the descending phase of the solar cycle. These strong storms and corresponding scintillations mainly took place in winter and summer seasons. When the main phase developed rapidly and reached the maximum near 20–21 LT (LT = UT + 8) after sunset, scintillations might occur in the following recovery phase. When the main phase maximum occurred shortly after midnight near 01–02 LT, following the strong scintillations in the pre-midnight main phase, scintillations might also occur in the post-midnight recovery phase. When the main phase maximum took place after 03 LT to the early morning hours no any scintillation could be observed in the latter of the night. Moreover, when the main phase maximum occurred during the daytime hours, scintillations could also hardly be observed in the following nighttime recovery phase, which might last until the end of recovery phase. Occasionally, scintillations also took place in the initial phase of the storm. During those scintillations associated with the nighttime magnetic storms, the height of F layer base (h’F) was evidently increased. However, the increase of F layer base height does not always cause the occurrence of scintillations, which indicates the complex interaction of various disturbance processes in ionosphere and thermosphere systems during the storms.     

L波段数字航空通信系统研究

随着全球航空运输的发展,空中交通管制与航空公司运控等航空业务对航空通信系统的数据传输速率、频谱利用率、航空通信网容量等性能提出了更高的要求。虽然现阶段基于甚高频的航空通信系统得到了迅速的发展,但仍受限于标准体制、技术壁垒等因素,难以满足持续增长的运行需求。L波段数字航空通信（L-band digital aeronautical communication system,L-DACS）数据链技术作为新一代航空通信系统的预选方案,是有效解决频谱资源饱和难题、满足高速率传输需求的有效途径。本文在总结L-DACS数据链技术发展现状的基础上,阐述了该通信系统现阶段的技术标准,分析了L-DACS发展所面临的挑战,提出了对应的发展建议,为面向航空宽带通信L-DACS的研究提供了参考与借鉴。