An empirical L-band scintillation model for a mid-latitude station, Weihai, China during the low solar activity period

Abstract

Mid-latitude ionospheric scintillation has been studied in very poor proportion as compared to the equatorial and high latitude ionospheric scintillation. Mid-latitude ionospheric scintillations are often associated with either day time photo-ionization or due to the storm enhanced density. Using the phase screen model and the wave propagation theory in random media, we have identified the orientation of the ionospheric irregularities over Weihai with the local geomagnetic field. Amplitude and phase scintillation data observed using global positioning system (GPS) scintillation receiver deployed at the mid-latitude observation station Weihai, have been used along with K-index derived from the horizontal magnetic field component of the local magnetometer. The proposed model uses the scintillation indices relationship with the local K-index. We identified the scintillation dependence over local K-index during geomagnetic quiet and disturbed condition. This dependence coefficient is used on the real scintillation data for modeling. The presented scintillation model has been validated by comparing it to the real observations. The co-relation coefficient is more than 90% during the disturbed as well as quiet geomagnetic conditions.