HR: 1330h
AN: SA12B-1101    [PDF]
TI: Specifying and Predicting Ionospheric Disturbances with C/NOFS
AU: * de La Beaujardiere, O
EM: odile.delabeaujardiere@hanscom.af.mil
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, VSBXP, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Retterer, J
EM: john.retterer@hanscom.af.mil
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, VSBXP, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Basu, B
EM: bamandas.basu@hanscom.af.mil
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, VSBXP, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Rich, F
EM: frederick.rich@hanscom.af.mil
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, VSBXP, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Hunton, D
EM: donald.hunton@hanscom.af.mil
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, VSBXP, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Mellein, J
EM: jason.mellein@hanscom.af.mil
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, VSBXP, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AB: The purpose of the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) is to forecast ionospheric irregularities that adversely impact communication, navigation and surveillance systems. A satellite, scheduled for launch in 2004 into a low inclination (13$\deg$), elliptical (~ 400 x 700 km) orbit, is the main component of the C/NOFS Mission. Complementary ground-based measurements form the other Mission segment. C/NOFS is the first satellite solely dedicated to forecasting ionospheric irregularities and radio wave scintillations. Its sensors will measure the following parameters: ambient and fluctuating electron densities; ion and electron temperatures; AC and DC electric fields; magnetic fields; neutral winds; ionospheric scintillations; and electron content along the lines of sight between the C/NOFS and GPS satellites. Forecasting will be based on both ground and space data. In order to predict the presence of scintillation-producing irregularities the following three main tasks need to be accomplished: (1) nowcast and forecast the background equatorial ionosphere; (2) identify mechanisms that trigger or quench the plasma irregularities; and (3) determine how irregularities evolve. In this presentation, we will describe these steps, as well as the validation and campaigns that are planned.
DE: 2415 Equatorial ionosphere
DE: 2435 Ionospheric disturbances
SC: SPA - Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting