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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Space Physics

 

Keywords

  • equatorial plasma bubbles
  • scintillation
  • airglow

Index Terms

  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric irregularities
  • Space Weather: Ionospheric effects on radio waves
  • Ionosphere: Equatorial ionosphere
  • Ionosphere: Instruments and techniques
Abstract
Cited By (0)
 

Abstract

A multi-instrument technique for localization of scintillation-causing regions in the equatorial ionosphere

E. S. Miller

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA

J. J. Makela

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA

Scintillation of transionospheric radio signals is a phenomenon of great practical consequence for users of satellite communication and navigation systems, often rendering these systems inaccurate or simply useless for periods of time. In order to understand the occurrence and underlying physics of the plasma instabilities that generate scintillation-causing irregularities, it is necessary to study the scale and velocity of these irregularities as well as their distribution in altitude. Scintillation is a diffraction effect; hence the observed diffraction pattern at the Earth's surface contains information on these three parameters. Often, the range is taken at an assumed altitude, allowing the velocity and scale to be estimated. However, the accuracy of these estimates depends on the quality of the assumed altitude. In this paper, we introduce the combination of field-aligned airglow images and satellite-to-satellite occultation links as a method to independently estimate the altitude of scattering regions at low latitudes. During the September–October equinox period of 2006, observations in the American sector show most irregularities in the 200–375 km altitude range.

Received 11 March 2008; accepted 22 September 2008; published 11 December 2008.

Citation: Miller, E. S., and J. J. Makela (2008), A multi-instrument technique for localization of scintillation-causing regions in the equatorial ionosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 113, A12303, doi:10.1029/2008JA013144.

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