Evaluating the accuracy of ionospheric range delay corrections for navigation at low latitude

Abstract

Abstract La Plata Ionospheric Model (LPIM) corrections in ionospheric range delay can be studied by analysing their effect on geodetic positioning. To evaluate these corrections, a scheme similar to that used in Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) is employed in this work. So, in this context an appropriate model for computing the ionospheric range delay and its error is required. By means of numerical simulation, the accuracy of LPIM for computing the ionospheric range delay correction at low latitude is evaluated. The slant range delays for the observing network are simulated using the NeQuick ionospheric model. The simulated ionospheric range delay correction applied to geodetic positioning is analysed at different levels of ionospheric activity as well as to solstices and equinoxes. The large errors of the ionospheric correction on geodetic positioning are obtained in high solar activity during the equinox. This work shows that the accuracy achieved using simulated data at low latitude is similar to the accuracy reported using real data at mid latitude.