Ionospheric Precursors to Scintillation Activity

Ionospheric scintillation is the rapid fluctuation of both phase and amplitude of trans-ionospheric radio waves due to small scale electron density irregularities in the ionosphere. Prediction of the occurrence of scintillation at L band frequencies is needed to mitigate the disruption of space-based communication and navigation systems. The purpose of this paper is to present a method of using tomographic inversions of the ionospheric electron density obtained from ground-based GPS data to infer the location and strength of the post-sunset plasma drift vortex. This vortex is related to the pre-reversal enhancement in the horizontal electric field which has been correlated to the subsequent occurrence of severe scintillation.

SPENCER Paul; 

2014-08-07

IST NAZIONALE DI GEOFISICA E VULCANOLOGIA

JRC83531

1593-5213,   

http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/6389/6345,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC83531,   

10.4401/ag-6389,