Abstract
CN006 is the name given by the European Space Agency (ESA) in their reports on radio frequency interference (RFI) to an instance of RFI in the L-band spectral window at 1.413 GHz protected for passive use only. The source of the interference is located east of the Chinese city of Hangzhou in an area with radar installations. Its effect was initially indistinguishable from that of many such RFI sources observed by the ESA's SMOS and NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radiometers over China. However, in July 2020, the level of radiation increased dramatically reaching levels exceeding 1700000 K as reported by Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) becoming the strongest source observed by SMOS. This article describes an analysis of this very strong source (a radar). It provides information to provide insight into an example of a well-defined source of RFI and illustrates the powerful capability of the SMAP radiometer receiver and RFI processing incorporated in it for identifying and understanding interference.
Highlights
S tarting on July 1, 2020, a very strong radio frequency interference (RFI) has been observed in Zhejiang Sheng region east of the city of Hangzhou Shi, China
S tarting on July 1, 2020, a very strong RFI has been observed in Zhejiang Sheng region east of the city of Hangzhou Shi, China
A strong RFI source had previously been recorded in this location but, starting in July, the brightness temperature of the source increased significantly, saturating the SMAP radiometer receiver, and peaking at more than 1,750,000 K from estimates by SMOS
Summary
S tarting on July 1, 2020, a very strong RFI has been observed in Zhejiang Sheng region east of the city of Hangzhou Shi, China. A strong RFI source had previously been recorded in this location but, starting in July, the brightness temperature of the source increased significantly, saturating the SMAP radiometer receiver, and peaking at more than 1,750,000 K from estimates by SMOS. After the increase in amplitude, the interference has spread well beyond the source, primarily south both over land and well into the ocean This is radiation from RFI source CN006 entering the radiometer receiver via the antenna sidelobes (i.e., when the antenna is not looking directly at the source).
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