Electron density fluctuations from Swarm as a proxy for ground-based scintillation data: A statistical perspective

Daria Kotova*, Yaqi Jin, Luca Spogli, Alan Wood, Jaroslav Urbár, James Rawlings, Ian Whittaker, Lucilla Alfonsi, Lasse Clausen, Per Høeg, Wojciech J. Miloch

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

The Swarm satellite mission has been used for numerous studies of the ionosphere. Here we use a global product, based on electron density measurements from Swarm that characterises ionospheric variability. The IPIR (Ionospheric Plasma IRregularities product) provides characteristics of plasma irregularities in terms of their amplitudes, gradients and spatial scales and assigns them to geomagnetic regions. Ionospheric irregularities and fluctuations are often the cause of errors in position, navigation, and timing (PNT) based on the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), in which signals pass through the ionosphere. The IPIR dataset also provides an indication, in the form of a numerical value index (IPIR index), of the severity of irregularities affecting the integrity of trans-ionospheric radio signals and hence, the accuracy of GNSS positioning. We analysed datasets from Swarm A and ground-based scintillation receivers. Time intervals (when Swarm A passes over the field of view of the ground-based GPS receiver) are compared to ground-based scintillation data, collecting an azimuthal selection of the GNSS data relevant to the Swarm satellite overpass. We provide validations of the IPIR product against the ground-based measurements from 23 ground-based receivers, focusing on GPS TEC and scintillation data in low-latitude, auroral and polar regions, and in different longitudinal sectors. We have determined the median, mean, maximum and standard deviation of the parameter values for both datasets and each conjunction point. We found a weak correlation of the intensity of both phase and amplitude scintillation with the IPIR index.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages17
JournalAdvances in Space Research
Early online date25 Nov 2022
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 25 Nov 2022

Keywords

  • In-situ plasma density from low-earth orbit satellite
  • Topside ionosphere
  • Amplitude and phase scintillations
  • Ionospheric irregularities
  • Polar cap, cusp, auroral and equatorial regions
  • Space weather

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