NPOESS Scintillation Study
Abstract
Theoretical study of the total electron content (TEC) in the nighttime equatorial anomaly region shows that linear relationships with statistically significant correlation coefficients exist between the maximum value of the post-sunset enhanced plasma drift velocity and the peak-to-valley ration of anomaly TEC. The maximum value of the post-sunset vertical plasma drift velocity is an important, perhaps the most important, parameter for determining both the intensity and the latitudinal distribution of equatorial scintillation. When this parameter is not available from any direct measurement, the relationships may be used to estimate it from the peak-to-valley ratio of anomaly TEC, which, in turn, can be derived from the ultraviolet (UV) imagery data of the anomaly region acquired by NPOESS sensors and NPOESS-heritage sensors; e.g. GUVI on TIMED and SSUSI on DMSP. This indicates the possibility of NPOESS data being used for a scintillation-forecasting scheme. The relationships presented here are valid for the longitude sector of the Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar whose drift velocity measurements have been used in the ambient plasma density model for TEC calculations. Similar relationships for other longitudinal sectors need to be investigated.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 06, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA420686
Entities
People
- Bamandas Basu
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory