Initial GPS scintillation results from CASES receiver at South Pole, Antarctica

Abstract

Connected Autonomous Space Environment Sensor (CASES) Global Positioning System (GPS) software‐defined receivers developed for ionospheric scintillation studies have been deployed on Autonomous Adaptive Low‐Power Instrument Platforms (AAL‐PIP) at South Pole, Antarctica. In this paper, we describe the AAL‐PIP experimental setup focusing on CASES. We explain in detail the method developed for analyzing CASES data, and report initial AAL‐PIP CASES results. Furthermore, we compare the CASES measurements with those from a modified Novatel GSV4004 GPS Ionospheric Scintillations and TEC Monitor (GISTM) receiver at the South Pole. CASES receivers have been successfully deployed and reliably operated in equatorial and midlatitude regions. Four of these GPS receivers, for the first time, are deployed in high‐latitude regions as a part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project of deploying space science instrument platforms, AAL‐PIPs, in Antarctica since December 2010–2011. We present initial scintillation results recorded by a CASES receiver at South Pole during the storm on 24 January 2012 along with AAL‐PIP magnetometer observations. We have deduced that the CASES receiver scintillation observations agree with those from the Novatel GPS scintillation receiver. Since this is the first time a CASES receiver has been deployed to operate in a high latitude, low temperature, and low humidity environment, we consider this comparison a demonstration of its reliable operation as a science‐grade scintillation receiver in such conditions. We plan to study high latitude ionospheric irregularities by using observations from CASES and other ancillary instruments from Antarctica coupled with physical parameters derived from models.