An Investigation into the Relationship between Ionospheric Scintillation and Loss of Lock in GNSS Receivers
Abstract
Irregularities in the ionospheric electron density can cause a phenomenon known as scintillation, in which the phase and amplitude of transiting radio signals fluctuate rapidly. Scintillation can have an adverse effect on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals as they pass from a satellite to a receiver, and extreme cases can cause a GNSS receiver to lose lock on the signal. This limits the availability of path-length measurements, and compromises the integrity of the navigation solution. Scintillation is not, however, the only mechanism that can cause a receiver to lose lock on a signal. For example, local multipath and shadowing can also contribute to the loss of phase lock. In this work, we examine the correlation between phase and amplitude scintillations and loss of phaselock events in co-located GPS receivers to establish whether loss-of-lock is associated with scintillation or multipath. One phase and amplitude scintillation receiver was deployed at each of the three European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) radar sites in Northern Scandinavia in the summer of 2004, and they have since provided an ongoing data record. In this paper we focus on the ionospheric storm period of November 2004. Using scintillation data from these receivers in conjunction with GPS observation data from the IGS receivers at Troms , Kiruna and Sodankyl , we attempt to identify those losses of phase lock for which scintillation was the cause, and distinguish them from losses of phase lock caused by local multi-path and shadowing effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA476963
Entities
People
- Andrew M Smith
- Cathryn N Mitchell
- Robert W. Meggs
Organizations
- University of Bath