Abstract
Ionospheric scintillation has a great impact on radio propagation and electronic system performance, thus is extensively studied currently. The influence of scintillation on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is particularly evident, making GNSS an effective medium to study characteristics of scintillation. Ionospheric scintillation varies greatly in relation with temporal and spatial distribution. In this paper, both temporal and spatial characteristics of scintillation are investigated based on Macquarie Island’s GNSS scintillation data collected from 2011 to 2015. Experiments demonstrate that occurrence rates of amplitude scintillation have a close relationship with solar activity, while phase scintillation is more likely to be generated by geomagnetic activity. In addition, scintillation distribution behaviors related to elevation and azimuth angles are statistically analyzed for both amplitude and phase scintillation. The proposed work is valuable for a deeper understanding of theoretical mechanisms of ionospheric scintillation in this region, and provides a reference for GNSS applications in certain regions around sub-Antarctica.
Highlights
Ionosphere is a layer in the earth’s upper atmosphere from 60 to 600 km
Some modified Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers were employed to observe the event of scintillation, such as ionospheric scintillation monitors (ISMs) [7], etc
Based on the numerous data sets, this work aims at contributing to a better understanding of the scintillation characteristics in sub-Antarctica region
Summary
Ionosphere is a layer in the earth’s upper atmosphere from 60 to 600 km. Under the irradiation of the sun, molecules in this region can be decomposed into ions and electrons, which results in an interference for the signals passing through this region [1]. The disturbed signals might suffer a sharp attenuation in amplitude and random variations in phase. The major impact of ionospheric scintillation on GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) can be roughly divided into two categories [2,3,4,5,6]. It probably causes a severe decrease in amplitude leading to cycle slips, or even a complete loss of lock to satellite signals for GNSS receivers. Some modified GNSS receivers were employed to observe the event of scintillation, such as ionospheric scintillation monitors (ISMs) [7], etc
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