Broadband Ionospheric Scintillation Measurements from Space

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Radio Frequency Propagation (RFProp) experiment consists of a satellite-based radio receiver suite to study various aspects of trans-ionospheric signal propagation and detection in four frequency bands, 2 – 55 MHz, 125 – 175 MHz, 365 – 415 MHz and 825 – 1100 MHz. In this paper, we present an overview of the RFProp on-orbit research and analysis effort with particular focus on an equatorial scintillation experiment called ESCINT. The 3-year ESCINT project is designed to characterize equatorial ionospheric scintillation in the upper HF and lower VHF portions of the radio spectrum (20 – 150 MHz). Both a 40 MHz continuous wave (CW) signal and 30 – 42 MHz swept frequency signal are transmitted to the satellite receiver suite from the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands (8.7° N, 167.7° E) in four separate campaigns centered on the 2014 and 2015 equinoxes. Results from the first campaign conducted from April 22 – May 15, 2014 will be presented including (a) coherence bandwidth measurements over a full range of transmission frequencies and scintillation activity levels, (b) spread-Doppler clutter effects arising from preferential ray paths to the satellite due to refraction off of isolated density irregularities, and (c) supporting ray-trace simulations. The broadband nature of the measurements is found to offer unique insight into both the structure of ionospheric irregularities and their impact on HF/VHF trans-ionospheric radio wave propagation.