Reduction of Ionospheric Effects on Polarization Measurements during Satellite Tracking,
Abstract
Since the beginning of 1988, polarization measurements have been made during the satellite tracking with the L-band (1.295 GHz) radar located at Millstone Hill, Massachusetts. This work aims at reducing the ionospheric effects on the phase differences between the two different circularly polarized signals, both reflected from the tracked satellite. The success of the effort will be conductive to improving the radar capability for space object identification. To predict the phase shifts caused by the trans-ionospheric propagation of the radar signals, we have used an ionospheric model which combines the slab model proposed by Klobuchar and the foF2 model suggested by Chiu. The computed results are compared with the phase shifts derived from the total electron content (TEC) measurements. These data were recorded at Hamilton, Massachusetts with the Faraday rotation measurements of the linearly polarized 137 MHz signal transmitted from GOES-II satellite. It is found that the predictions made with the aforesaid ionospheric model agrees with the measurements for most of the cases. However, during the periods of high solar fluxes or when the ionospheric density reaches its peak values in the day, this model seems to overpredict the TEC.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 03, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADP006307
Entities
People
- Choong-Shik Yoo
- Min‐Cheol Lee
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology