The geomagnetic storm of 17–18 March 2015 was caused by the impacts of a coronal mass ejection and a high‐speed plasma stream from a coronal hole. The high‐latitude ionosphere dynamics is studied using arrays of ground‐based instruments including GPS receivers, HF radars, ionosondes, riometers, and magnetometers. The phase scintillation index is computed for signals sampled at a rate of up to 100 Hz by specialized GPS scintillation receivers supplemented by the phase scintillation proxy index obtained from geodetic‐quality GPS data sampled at 1 Hz. In the context of solar wind coupling to the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system, it is shown that GPS phase scintillation is primarily enhanced in the cusp, the tongue of ionization that is broken into patches drawn into the polar cap from the dayside storm‐enhanced plasma density, and in the auroral oval. In this paper we examine the relation between the scintillation and auroral electrojet currents observed by arrays of ground‐based magnetometers as well as energetic particle precipitation observed by the DMSP satellites. Equivalent ionospheric currents are obtained from ground magnetometer data using the spherical elementary currents systems technique that has been applied over the ground magnetometer networks in North America and North Europe. The GPS phase scintillation is mapped to the poleward side of strong westward electrojet and to the edge of the eastward electrojet region. Also, the scintillation was generally collocated with fluxes of energetic electron precipitation observed by DMSP satellites with the exception of a period of pulsating aurora when only very weak currents were observed.
Abstract. The occurrence of blanketing type E s (E sb ) layers and associated E-region irregularities over the magnetic equatorial location of Trivandrum (8.5 • N; 77 • E; dip ∼0.5 • ) during the summer solstitial months of May, June, July and August has been investigated in detail for the period 1986-2000 to bring out the variabilities in their characteristics with the solar cycle changes. The study has been made using the ionosonde and magnetometer data of Trivandrum from 1986-2000 along with the available data from the 54.95 MHz VHF backscatter radar at Trivandrum for the period 1995-2000. The appearance of blanketing E s layers during these months is observed to be mostly in association with the occurrence of afternoon Counter Electrojet (CEJ) events. The physical process leading to the occurrence of a CEJ event is mainly controlled by the nature of the prevailing electro dynamical/neutral dynamical conditions before the event.Hence it is natural that the E sb layer characteristics like the frequency of occurrence, onset time, intensity, nature of gradients in its top and bottom sides etc are also affected by the nature of the background electro dynamical /neutral dynamical processes which in turn are strongly controlled by the solar activity changes. The occurrence of E sb layers during the solstitial months is found to show very strong solar activity dependence with the occurrence frequency being very large during the solar minimum years and very low during solar maximum years. The intensity of the VHF radar backscattered signals from the E sb irregularities is observed to be controlled by the relative roles of the direction and magnitude of the prevailing vertical polarization electric field and the vertical electron density gradient of the prevailing E sb layer depending on the phase of the solar cycle. The gradient of the E sb layer shows a more dominant role in the generation of gradient instabilities during solar minimum periods while it is the electric field that has a more dominant role during solar maximum periods.
1] Rapid fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of a transionospheric radio signal caused by small scale plasma density irregularities in the ionosphere are known as scintillation. Scintillation can seriously impair a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) receiver tracking performance, thus affecting the required levels of availability, accuracy and integrity, and consequently the reliability of modern day GNSS based applications. This paper presents an analysis of correlation between scintillation levels and tracking performance of a GNSS receiver for GPS L1C/A, L2C and GLONASS L1, L2 signals. The analyses make use of data recorded over Presidente Prudente (22.1 S, 51.4 W, dip latitude $12.3 S) in Brazil, a location close to the Equatorial Ionisation Anomaly (EIA) crest in Latin America. The study presents for the first time this type of correlation analysis for GPS L2C and GLONASS L1, L2 signals. The scintillation levels are defined by the amplitude scintillation index, S 4 and the receiver tracking performance is evaluated by the phase tracking jitter. Both S 4 and the phase tracking jitter are estimated from the post correlation In-Phase (I) and Quadra-Phase (Q) components logged by the receiver at a high rate. Results reveal that the dependence of the phase tracking jitter on the scintillation levels can be represented by a quadratic fit for the signals. The results presented in this paper are of importance to GNSS users, especially in view of the forthcoming high phase of solar cycle 24 (predicted for 2013).Citation: Sreeja, V., M. Aquino, Z. G. Elmas, and B. Forte (2012), Correlation analysis between ionospheric scintillation levels and receiver tracking performance, Space Weather, 10, S06005,
Scintillations are rapid fluctuations in the phase and amplitude of transionospheric radio signals caused by small‐scale ionospheric plasma density irregularities. In the case of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, scintillations can cause cycle slips, degrade the positioning accuracy and when severe enough can even lead to complete loss of signal lock. This study presents for the first time an assessment of GNSS receiver signal tracking performance under scintillating conditions, by the analysis of receiver phase lock loop (PLL) jitter variance maps. These maps can potentially assist users when faced with such conditions; a potential application envisaged for these maps would be in the form of a tool to provide users with information about “current (or expected, if some sort of prediction can be developed in follow on research) tracking conditions” under scintillation; another possibility would be to use the technique described by Aquino et al. (2009) to mitigate against the effects of ionospheric scintillation. In this paper these maps were constructed for scintillation events that were observed in the field during 9–11 March 2011 over Presidente Prudente (22.1°S, 51.4°W, dip latitude ∼12.3°S) in Brazil, a location close to the Equatorial Ionisation Anomaly (EIA) crest in Latin America. Results show that the jitter variances estimated for all the simultaneously observed satellite‐to‐receiver links during the premidnight hours on 9 and 11 March 2011 increase during the enhanced scintillation levels, indicating the likelihood for cycle slips, loss of signal lock, and degraded accuracy in the observations.
The equatorial and low‐latitude ionospheric response to three moderate geomagnetic storms (17, 18, and 22 January) during the period from 16 to 23 January 2005 is investigated in the context of development/inhibition of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and the subsequent occurrence/nonoccurrence of Equatorial Spread F (ESF) irregularities on these days. The study is carried out using the Total Electron Content (TEC) measured with the GPS receivers along the ∼80°E longitude sector and the F‐layer bottom height obtained from the Ionosonde located over the dip equatorial location of Trivandrum (8.5°N, 77°E, dip latitude ∼0.5°N) in India. It is observed that, for the storms on days 17 and 22, the development of the anomaly was inhibited, probably due to the westward disturbance dynamo electric fields. Subsequently, the post sunset enhancement in the vertical drift of the equatorial F region was also inhibited significantly compared to the quiet day pattern and, as anticipated, no ESF was observed on these days. A large vertical drift of the equatorial F region followed by nearly simultaneous onset of weak ESF was observed on day 18. The late development of the EIA on this day could be due to the eastward prompt penetration electric field associated with the southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field. Also, strong and distinct F3 layer appeared for a short time in the morning, reappeared later in the noon time, and then quickly ascended to the topside ionosphere during the main phase of the storm on day 18.
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