Polarization Characteristics Inferred From the Radio Receiver Instrument on the Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe

Abstract

AbstractThe Radio Receiver Instrument (RRI) on the CAScade, Smallsat, and Ionospheric Polar Explorer/enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (CASSIOPE/e‐POP) satellite was used to receive continuous wave and binary phase shift keyed transmissions from a high‐frequency transmitter located in Ottawa, ON, Canada during April 2016 to investigate how the ionosphere affects the polarization characteristics of transionospheric high‐frequency radio waves. The spacecraft orientation was continuously slewed to maintain the dipole orientation in a plane perpendicular to the direction toward the transmitter, enabling the first in situ planar polarization determination for continuous wave and binary phase shift keyed modulated radio waves from space at times when the wave frequency is at least 1.58 times the plasma frequency. The Stokes parameters and polarization characteristics were derived from the measured data and interpreted using an existing ray tracing model. For the southern part of the passes, the power was observed to oscillate between the two dipoles of RRI, which was attributed to Faraday rotation of the radio waves. For the first time, a reversal in the rate of change of orientation angle was observed where the minimum in modeled Faraday rotation occurred. The reversal point was poleward of the point of closest approach between the satellite and transmitter; this was explained by the variations of total electron content and component of magnetic field along the direction of propagation. The received signals show both quasi‐longitudinal (QL) and quasi‐transverse characteristics. South of the transmitter the QL regime is dominant. Around the reversal point, a combination of QL and quasi‐transverse nature was observed.