High-latitutde scintillations using NNSS satellites

An experiment is described which has been established in Northern Sweden since September 1984 to monitor scintillations using transmissions from NNSS satellites. Designed for long-term nearly-unattended operation, with control and data handling based around a PDP 11/23 minicomputer, the equipment records and processes data from more than 20 NNSS passes per day. Stored on magnetic tape for further study for each 20s segment of received signal after suitable detrending, are S4-indices for both frequencies, the r.m.s. differential phase fluctuations, the differential phase rotation (differential doppler), together with statistics of signal fading below selected thresholds and durations of individual fades. Determination of satellite position in nearly-real time from the transmitted ephemeris parameters enables estimates of effective ionospheric irregularity height to be made for high-elevation passes by means of the cross correlation of signals received on two separated antennas. A second mode of operation allows the raw data to be stored for subsequent analysis. This has been used successfully for coordinated special program experiments in conjunction with the EISCAT ionospheric radar facility in the study of the physical processes reponsible for the scintillation-producing irregularities.