SA13C-4009:
The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC equatorial spread-F and global scintillation model
Monday, 15 December 2014
Shih Ping Chen, Institute of Space Science National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan, Dieter Bilitza, George Mason University Fairfax, Fairfax, VA, United States; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 672, Greenbelt, MD, United States and Jann-Yenq G Liu, NCU National Central University of Taiwan, Jhongli, Taiwan
Abstract:
Radio scintillation of receiving signal is a sensitive detector of ionospheric density irregularity or Equatorial spread-F (ESF), it is been defined as a random modulation imported to propagating wave by density irregularity in the propagation medium. Thus, scintillation observations have been vice versa employed to identify irregular structure in highly varied propagation media. However, the limitation of ground-based receiver confines the research range and caused the shortage of oceanic data. Since the launch of FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) in 2006, the constellation formed by six LEO satellites continuing receiving L1-band (1.5 GHz) signal from GPS system. The occultation scintillation index S4 has already been calculated and recorded for 7 years, and 72° orbital inclination makes F3/C occultation profiles capable to establishing globally observation coverage. In this report, we’ll display and discuss the result from both equatorial spread-F occurrence rate and global scintillation S4 index empirical model calculated from F3/C profile data. A comparison with IRI-2012 ESF occurrence rate is also provided as reference.
