GPS scintillations associated with cusp dynamics and polar cap patches

Yaqi Jin,Jøran I Moen,Lasse B.N Clausen,Kjellmar Oksavik,Wojciech J Miloch,Andres Spicher

doi:10.1051/swsc/2017022

Yaqi Jin, Jøran I Moen + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2017022

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Abstract

This paper investigates the relative scintillation level associated with cusp dynamics (including precipitation, flow shears, etc.) with and without the formation of polar cap patches around the cusp inflow region by the EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR) and two GPS scintillation receivers. A series of polar cap patches were observed by the ESR between 8:40 and 10:20 UT on December 3, 2011. The polar cap patches combined with the auroral dynamics were associated with a significantly higher GPS phase scintillation level (up to 0.6 rad) than those observed for the other two alternatives, i.e., cusp dynamics without polar cap patches, and polar cap patches without cusp aurora. The cusp auroral dynamics without plasma patches were indeed related to GPS phase scintillations at a moderate level (up to 0.3 rad). The polar cap patches away from the active cusp were associated with sporadic and moderate GPS phase scintillations (up to 0.2 rad). The main conclusion is that the worst global navigation satellite system space weather events on the dayside occur when polar cap patches enter the polar cap and are subject to particle precipitation and flow shears, which is analogous to the nightside when polar cap patches exit the polar cap and enter the auroral oval.

Highlights

The ionospheric electron density irregularities can modify trans-ionospheric radio waves, which results in rapid fluctuations of the received amplitude and phase on the ground, known as ionospheric scintillations
This paper investigates the relative scintillation level associated with cusp dynamics with and without the formation of polar cap patches around the cusp inflow region by the EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR) and two GPS scintillation receivers
The polar cap patches combined with the auroral dynamics were associated with a significantly higher GPS phase scintillation level than those observed for the other two alternatives, i.e., cusp dynamics without polar cap patches, and polar cap patches without cusp aurora

Summary

Introduction

The ionospheric electron density irregularities can modify trans-ionospheric radio waves, which results in rapid fluctuations of the received amplitude and phase on the ground, known as ionospheric scintillations (see e.g., Yeh & Liu, 1982; Kintner et al, 2007, and references therein). G., Mitchell et al, 2005; Spogli et al, 2009; Prikryl et al, 2010; Alfonsi et al, 2011; Jin et al, 2014; van der Meeren et al, 2014; Wang et al, 2016) It was shown by Jin et al (2014) and van der Meeren et al (2015) that the strongest GPS phase scintillations at high latitudes occur when the polar cap patches, islands of enhanced F region ionosphere, exit the polar cap into the nightside auroral. We present GPS scintillations in the European Arctic sector near the dayside cusp inflow region around. The result shows that the combination of cusp dynamics and the formation of polar cap patches produce a significantly higher GPS phase scintillation level than cusp dynamics without the formation of polar cap patches

Instrumentation

Observations

Discussion

Summary and concluding remarks