Forecasting the Appearance and Evolution of Ionospheric Irregularities and Structures: Their Effects on AF Systems
Abstract
Work performed under this contract includes scientific and technological research to provide an understanding of the origin an devolution of small to large-scale structures that develop in the ionosphere at polar and equatorial latitudes. These structures and irregularities produce detrimental disturbances on Air Force communication, navigation and surveillance systems. Systems operating at polar latitudes experience disruptions due to the high variability of patch activity that depends on universal time, season, magnetic conditions, solar cycle, and hemisphere. At low latitudes, unwanted effects on systems are even more pronounced as Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers experience loss of signal lock when the ray path traverses an ionospheric plasma bubble. The GPS systems also experience substantial errors in the position on the order of tens of meters due to ionospheric density variability. Our studies have spanned the ascending phase of solar cycle 24, a phase characterized by: (1) an increase of the worldwide background density that degrades the accuracy of navigation systems; and (2) a strengthening of the intensity of scintillations that produces communications outages. The experimental, modeling and assimilation studies described in this report have improved our overall understanding of the high and low-latitude ionospheric processes that may ultimately lead to more reliable and complete forecasts. This contract also supported the operations, maintenance, installation and logistic support of ionospheric instruments that have been deployed around the world in support of the SCINDA and LISN Networks.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 21, 2015
- Accession Number
- AD1002455
Entities
People
- C. E. Valladares
- Charles S. Carrano
- K. M. Groves
- Patricia H. Doherty
- Vadym Paznukhov
Organizations
- Boston College