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Dr. Keith GrovesInstitute for Space ResearchBoston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA USAkeith.groves@bc.edu

SCINDA Status & PlansLISN Workshop

Sao José dos CamposS.P., Brasil

7-10 November 2011

Acknowledgments to the Team

Santimay Basu Ronald Caton Charlie Carrano

Chris Bridgwood Isseyas Mengistu John Quinn

Robert Livingston Stephen Jimenez Cesar Valladares

Randy Cicale Ben Heruska Peter Ning

Mike Verlinden Dean Anneser Rui Fernandes

Patrick Roddy Nelson Bonito Ted Erickson

AND a long list of instrument hosts!

• SCINDA Purpose & Status− Equipment Description− Global Scintillation & Ionospheric Monitoring

• African Initiative • Plans & Summary• A bit about COPEX…

OUTLINE

PRN 7

Scintillation: Why we care

• Regional UHF SATCOM outages for extended periods (hours)• Increased Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation errors• Degraded High Frequency (HF) radio communication

Scintillation = Rapid amplitude and phase fluctuations ofradio signals from space due to turbulence generated by Ionospheric Irregularities

SCINTILLATION NETWORK DECISION AID(SCINDA)

• Ground-Based Sensor Network– Passive UHF / L-Band /GPS

Scintillation Receivers– Measures Scintillation Intensity,

Zonal Drift Velocity and TEC– Automated Real-time Data Retrieval

Via Internet• Data Drives Equatorial

Scintillation Model Providing Simplified Visualizations for users

• TEC data available for ambient ionosphere models

A regional nowcasting system to support basic research and users of

space-based comm/nav systems

SCINDA Sensor Suite

GPS Antenna

UHF Antenna

Tri-band Beacon System

GPS Receiver

UHF SATCOM Receiver

Typical Hardware Configuration

cable out to

antennas

Shared Monitor

VHF Computer GPS Computer

VHF Receiver

Internet / Local

Network

GPS Receive

r

KVM Switch

Keyboard

GPS Antenna

West Receiver East Receiver

50-150 meters

2 meters

RG9913 Coaxial Cable(180 meters max.)

Magnetic E-W Baseline

Figure 5. VHF (250 MHz) Receiver Chain and Data Acquisition System

Antenna Layout

Receivers Set-Up

Software Digital Radio Technology

Example of good agreement with the old system (red) and the software digital radio (green) during a strong scintillation period.

Software-based system exhibits lower noise floor

• Measures full spectrum of satellite channels simultaneously

• 1/10 the cost of existing UHF SATCOM monitoring systems

– Enables sensor proliferation for data-starved models!

• Real-time processing capability being tested now for field deployment in FY10

SDR captures entire UHF SATCOM spectrum; collectively a good channel is always available

Any single channel subject to satellite modulation

Present and anticipated thru 2012

SCINDA Ground Stations

30N

0

30S

210E 240E 270E 300E 330E 0 30E 60E 90E 120E 150E

Existing Sites Future UN ISWI Sites Other collaboration

LISN DomainRecent

SCINDA Focus

Scintillation Activity in Africa

• Scintillation activity across Africa assumed high based on satellite observations, but ground-based measurements are needed

• C/NOFS sees similar maximum in activity over Africa

• Leveraged UN-sponsored workshops to identify host nation partners & collaborators (2005-09)

• Goal is to establish robust monitoring network with scientific collaboration across Africa, Asia and South America

Strength of scintillations over Africa unknown

Adapted from S.Y. Su, 2005

• 1st Workshop: 10-14 Jul 2006, Espargos, Sal Island, Cape Verde– 20 African participants, installed full SCINDA sensor suite, outlined plan for new sites– As a result, established 3 SCINDA sites in Nigeria (2) and Ivory Coast in 2007

• 2nd Workshop: 11 Nov 2007, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia– More than 50 participants representing 12 nations – Results of initial research on SCINDA data from and presented by African hosts– Established 3 SCINDA sites in Ethiopia (2) and Kenya in 2008

• 3rd Workshop: 7-12 Jun 2009, Livingstone, Zambia– More than 100 participants representing 25 nations!– Presentations and discussions of research on SCINDA data led by African scientists!– Deployed 5 systems to Uganda, Egypt, Liberia, Nigeria & Kenya and plans for future

deployment of up to 10 more systems in Africa

• 4th Workshop 6-10 Nov 2010 in conjunction with Workshop on International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI), Helwan, Egypt

SCINDA-IHY Workshops in Africa

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Purpose: To train participants in equatorial Ionospheric physics and SCINDA sensor installation, operation and maintenance

10-14 Jul 2006 – Espargos, Cape Verde

1st SCINDA-IHY Workshop in Africa

11 Nov 2007 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2nd SCINDA-IHY Workshop in Africa

Bigger…

7-12 Jun 2009, Livingstone, Zambia

3rd SCINDA-IHY Workshop in Africa

Still Growing…

2011-2013 Plans (unofficial)

• Install an additional 4-5 sites in Africa, 2-3 other locations in S.E. Asia/Pacific

• Improve infrastructure/capability at functional sites in Africa– Solar panels, robust power systems, mobile data transfer

– Add VHF scintillation/drift sensors

• Develop improved multi-frequency LEO beacon receiver systems focused on next-generation beacon design (still TBD); up to six equatorial satellites in constellation (2015)– New sensors useful throughout SCINDA & LISN networks

Basic Infrastructure NeedsCongo Brazzaville, 2-6 Nov 2011

VHF & GPS Sensor DataNairobi, Kenya, 01 Oct 2011

2011-2013 Plans (unofficial)

• Exploit data for more scientific studies on both local and global scintillation phenomena– Storm-time behavior, 4-cell pattern in TEC/scintillation, local

gradients, anomaly characteristics

– Ultimate goal is to forecast equatorial Spread F

Mla

t

VTEC

Meridional Structure & Evolution: COPEXTEC Central Brazil Oct-Nov 2002

• Combined data from three (3) stations reveals dramatic low latitude density structure and variation

• Asymmetric anomaly structure driven by inter-hemispheric neutral wind

• Scintillation characteristics symmetric

Local Time

VTEC

Mla

t

Local Time

VTEC

13-19 October

3-9 November 1-7 December

Longitudinal Variations: Continental Scale

Synoptic scale features can be resolved with current network, but better resolution is needed

ASI

KIN

ZNZ ZNZ ZNZ ZNZ

ASI ASI ASI

KIN KIN KIN

EA

ST

WE

ST

CE

NTR

AL

14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 27 Oct

2011-2013 Plans (unofficial)

• Continue to support LISN initiative—South America is critical region and offers excellent observing opportunities

Recent SCINDA Installations

GPS site established in Zanzibar, Tanzania July 2010VHF system installed in Nairobi, Kenya

GPS sites established in Kinshasa & Kisangani, DRC May 2011

More SCINDA Site Photos

TIA (This is Africa)

TIB (This is Brasil)

Obrigado