Engineering topics

Bilitza, Dieter

Publications and source records attributed to Bilitza, Dieter.

At least 19 records

NASA NTRS2018

Enhancing the ISIS-I Topside Digital Ionogram Database

Selected original analog telemetry tapes from three of the topside-sounder satellites of theInternational Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program, namely Alouette 2, ISIS I, and ISIS II, wereused in an earlier project to produce more than Â½ million digital topside ionograms; the resulting digitaltopside ionograms from ISIS II were used to produce more than 86,000 globally distributed vertical topsideionospheric electron density profiles Ne(h) that cover a time span of more than a solar cycle. These Ne(h) wereproduced using the Topside Ionogram Scaler with True height algorithm auto-scaling software. Beforeattempting to automatically process Alouette-2 or ISIS-I ionograms, a data-enhancement project wasinitiated so as to increase the number of ionograms suitable for manual scaling and to increase theauto-processing success rate. These enhancements were mainly to correct problems that often occurredduring the analog-to-digital conversion of the original telemetry tapes. Here we illustrate the improvementsmade to the ISIS-I digital topside ionograms and compare Ne values at the satellite altitude and Ne(h)profiles, based on the manual scaling of selected ionograms, to both the auto-scaled values and thepredictions of the International Reference Ionosphere 2016 model. The results indicate the need to improvethe available auto-processing software for the new ISIS-I digital ionograms and that International ReferenceIonosphere 2016 predicts midlatitude winter topside Ne values that are too high in the late morning andat noon but too low in the early morning.

Benson, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Status of and Scientific Results from the ISIS-I Topside Digital Ionogram Data Enhancement Project

topside ionosphere↗

NASA NTRS2016

High-Latitude Topside Ionospheric Vertical Electron Density Profile Changes in Response to Large Magnetic Storms

Large magnetic-storm-induced changes were detected in high-latitude topside vertical electron density profiles Ne(h) in a database of profiles and digital topside ionograms, from the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program, that enabled Ne(h) profiles to be obtained in nearly the same region of space before, during, and after a major magnetic storm (Dst -100nT). Storms where Ne(h) profiles were available in the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere had better coverage of solar wind parameters than storms with available Ne(h) profiles in the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere. Large Ne(h) changes were observed during all storms, with enhancements and depletions sometimes near a factor of 10 and 0.1, respectively, but with substantial differences in the responses in the two hemispheres. Large spatial andor temporal Ne(h) changes were often observed during Dst minimum and during the storm recovery phase. The storm-induced Ne(h) changes were the most pronounced and consistent in the Northern Hemisphere in that large enhancements were observed during winter nighttime and large depletions during winter and spring daytime. The limited available cases suggested that these Northern Hemisphere enhancements increased with increases of the time-shifted solar wind velocity v, magnetic field B, and with more negative values of the B components except for the highest common altitude (1100km) of the profiles. There was also some evidence suggesting that the Northern Hemisphere depletions were related to changes in the solar wind parameters. Southern Hemisphere storm-induced enhancements and depletions were typically considerably less with depletions observed during summer nighttime conditions and enhancements during summer daytime and fall nighttime conditions.

Benson, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS2015

High-Latitude Topside Ionospheric Vertical Electron-Density-Profile Changes in Response to Large Magnetic Storms

Large magnetic-storm induced changes have been detected in high-latitude topside vertical electron-density profiles Ne(h). The investigation was based on the large database of topside Ne(h) profiles and digital topside ionograms from the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program available from the NASA Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) at http://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/isis/isis-status.html. This large database enabled Ne(h) profiles to be obtained when an ISIS satellite passed through nearly the same region of space before, during, and after a major magnetic storm. A major goal was to relate the magnetic-storm induced high-latitude Ne(h) profile changes to solar-wind parameters. Thus an additional data constraint was to consider only storms where solar-wind data were available from the NASA/SPDF OMNIWeb database. Ten large magnetic storms (with Dst less than -100 nT) were identified that satisfied both the Ne(h) profile and the solar-wind data constraints. During five of these storms topside ionospheric Ne(h) profiles were available in the high-latitude northern hemisphere and during the other five storms similar ionospheric data were available in the southern hemisphere. Large Ne(h) changes were observed during each one of these storms. Our concentration in this paper is on the northern hemisphere. The data coverage was best for the northern-hemisphere winter. Here Ne(h) profile enhancements were always observed when the magnetic local time (MLT) was between 00 and 03 and Ne(h) profile depletions were always observed between 08 and 10 MLT. The observed Ne(h) deviations were compared with solar-wind parameters, with appropriate time shifts, for four storms.

solar wind↗

NASA NTRS2015

Data Services Upgrade: Perfecting the ISIS-I Topside Digital Ionogram Database

The ionospheric topside sounders of the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program were designed as analog systems. More than 16,000 of the original telemetry tapes from three satellites were used to produce topside digital ionograms, via an analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion process, suitable for modern analysis techniques. Unfortunately, many of the resulting digital topside ionogram files could not be auto-processed to produce topside Ne(h) profiles because of problems encountered during the A/D process. Software has been written to resolve these problems and here we report on (1) the first application of this software to a significant portion of the ISIS-1 digital topside-ionogram database, (2) software improvements motivated by this activity, (3) N(sub e)(h) profiles automatically produced from these corrected ISIS-1 digital ionogram files, and (4) the availability via the Virtual Wave Observatory (VWO) of the corrected ISIS-1 digital topside ionogram files for research. We will also demonstrate the use of these N(sub e)(h) profiles for making refinements in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) and in the determination of transition heights from Oxygen ion to Hydrogen ion.

topside ionosphere↗

NASA NTRS2014

Comparison of H+ and He+ Plasmapause Locations Based on Resurrected and Reevaluated OGO-5 Ion Composition Data Base

Orbiting Geophysical Observatory 5 (OGO 5) magnetospheric ion-composition data (H+, He+ and O+) from an ion spectrometer (Sharp, 1969) have been retrieved from old magnetic tapes archived at the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). The highly compressed binary format was converted into a user-friendly ASCII format and these data have been made available online. We have inspected reliability and consistency of this data set in state of the art current knowledge. Comparing with the climatological model IRI-2012 and the mathematical model FLIP a shift of absolute and relative ion densities with time was revealed. We have suggested a correction procedure of individual H+, He+ and O+ ion densities. Using the corrected data set, we investigated plasmapause locations based on density gradient in H+, and He+. Correlation coefficient of both locations was determined as approx. 0.886 and the typical difference (Delta)L approx. 0.1. The electron density at the He+ plasmapause location for all cases is >100/cu cm.

Plasmasphere↗

NASA NTRS2013

Representation of the Auroral and Polar Ionosphere in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI)

This issue of Advances in Space Research presents a selection of papers that document the progress in developing and improving the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI), a widely used standard for the parameters that describe the Earths ionosphere. The core set of papers was presented during the 2010 General Assembly of the Committee on Space Research in Bremen, Germany in a session that focused on the representation of the auroral and polar ionosphere in the IRI model. In addition, papers were solicited and submitted from the scientific community in a general call for appropriate papers.

IRI↗

NASA NTRS2013

Empirical STORM-E Model

Auroral nighttime infrared emission observed by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite is used to develop an empirical model of geomagnetic storm enhancements to E-region peak electron densities. The empirical model is called STORM-E and will be incorporated into the 2012 release of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). The proxy for characterizing the E-region response to geomagnetic forcing is NO+(v) volume emission rates (VER) derived from the TIMED/SABER 4.3 lm channel limb radiance measurements. The storm-time response of the NO+(v) 4.3 lm VER is sensitive to auroral particle precipitation. A statistical database of storm-time to climatological quiet-time ratios of SABER-observed NO+(v) 4.3 lm VER are fit to widely available geomagnetic indices using the theoretical framework of linear impulse-response theory. The STORM-E model provides a dynamic storm-time correction factor to adjust a known quiescent E-region electron density peak concentration for geomagnetic enhancements due to auroral particle precipitation. Part II of this series describes the explicit development of the empirical storm-time correction factor for E-region peak electron densities, and shows comparisons of E-region electron densities between STORM-E predictions and incoherent scatter radar measurements. In this paper, Part I of the series, the efficacy of using SABER-derived NO+(v) VER as a proxy for the E-region response to solar-geomagnetic disturbances is presented. Furthermore, a detailed description of the algorithms and methodologies used to derive NO+(v) VER from SABER 4.3 lm limb emission measurements is given. Finally, an assessment of key uncertainties in retrieving NO+(v) VER is presented

Mertens, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Improving the Automatic Inversion of Digital Alouette/ISIS Ionogram Reflection Traces into Topside Electron Density Profiles

The topside sounders of the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program were designed as analog systems. The resulting ionograms were displayed on 35 mm film for analysis by visual inspection. Each of these satellites, launched between 1962 and 1971, produced data for 10 to 20 years. A number of the original telemetry tapes from this large data set have been converted directly into digital records. Software, known as the Topside Ionogram Scalar With True-Height (TOPIST) algorithm, has been produced and used for the automatic inversion of the ionogram reflection traces on more than 100,000 ISIS-2 digital topside ionograms into topside vertical electron density profiles Ne(h). Here we present some topside ionospheric solar cycle variations deduced from the TOPIST database to illustrate the scientific benefit of improving and expanding the topside ionospheric Ne(h) database. The profile improvements will be based on improvements in the TOPIST software motivated by direct comparisons between TOPIST profiles and profiles produced by manual scaling in the early days of the ISIS program. The database expansion will be based on new software designed to overcome limitations in the original digital topside ionogram database caused by difficulties encountered during the analog-to-digital conversion process in the detection of the ionogram frame sync pulse and/or the frequency markers. This improved and expanded TOPIST topside Ne(h) database will greatly enhance investigations into both short- and long-term ionospheric changes, e.g., the observed topside ionospheric responses to magnetic storms, induced by interplanetary magnetic clouds, and solar cycle variations, respectively.

Benson, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Measurements and IRI Model Predictions During the Recent Solar Minimum

Cycle 23 was exceptional in that it lasted almost two years longer than its predecessors and in that it ended in an extended minimum period that proved all predictions wrong. Comparisons of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) with CHAMP and GRACE in-situ measurements of electron density during the minimum have revealed significant discrepancies at 400-500 km altitude. Our study investigates the causes for these discrepancies with the help of ionosonde and Planar Langmuir Probe (PLP) data from the Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite. Our C/NOFS comparisons confirm the earlier CHAMP and GRACE results. But the ionosonde measurements of the F-peak plasma frequency (foF2) show generally good agreement throughout the whole solar cycle. At mid-latitude stations yearly averages of the data-model difference are within 10% and at low latitudes stations within 20%. The 60-70% differences found at 400-500 km altitude are not seen at the F peak. We will discuss how these seemingly contradicting results from the ionosonde and in situ data-model comparisons can be explained and which parameters need to be corrected in the IRI model.

Bilitza, Dieter↗

NASA NTRS2012

New Vary-Chap Profile of the Topside Ionosphere Electron Density Distribution for use with the IRI Model and the GIRO Real-Time Data

A new Vary-Chap function is introduced for the empirical modeling of the electron density N(h) profile in the topside ionosphere that uses a shape function S(h) in the generalized Chapman function. The Vary-Chap profile extends the bottomside profile that is specified by the IRI model or measured by the Global Ionospheric Radio Observatory (GIRO) to the altitude of the ISIS-2 satellite. Some 80,000 topside profiles, measured by the topside sounder on the ISIS-2 satellite were analyzed, and the shape function S(h) was calculated for each profile. A parameterized function S*(h), composed of two sub-functions S1(h) and S2(h), is fitted to the measured S(h) profile using three free parameters. At altitudes just above the F2 layer peak height hmF2, the shape function S1 controls S(h), and at greater altitudes S2 controls S(h). The height of the intersection of S1 and S2 is defined as the transition height h(sub T) indicating the transition from an O(+) to an H(+)-dominated profile shape. The observed transition heights range from approx.500 km to 800 km.

Nsumei, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS2012

Detection of Ionospheric Alfven Resonator Signatures in the Equatorial Ionosphere

The ionosphere response resulting from minimum solar activity during cycle 23/24 was unusual and offered unique opportunities for investigating space weather in the near-Earth environment. We report ultra low frequency electric field signatures related to the ionospheric Alfven resonator detected by the Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite in the equatorial region. These signatures are used to constrain ionospheric empirical models and offer a new approach for monitoring ionosphere dynamics and space weather phenomena, namely aeronomy processes, Alfven wave propagation, and troposphere24 ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling mechanisms.

Simoes, Fernando↗

NASA NTRS2011

Science Enabling Roles and Services of SPDF

The current Heliophysics Science Data Management Policy defines the roles of the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) project as a heliophysics active Final Archive, a focus for critical data infrastructure services and a center of excellence for data and ancillary information services. This presentation will highlight some of our current activities and our understanding of why and how our services are useful to researchers, as well as SPDF's programmatic emphasis in the coming year. We will discuss how. in cooperation with the Heliophysics Virtual discipline Observatories (VxOs), we are working closely with the RBSP and MMS mission teams to support their decisions to use CDF as a primary format for their public data products, to leverage the ongoing data flows and capabilities of CDAWeb (directly and through external clients such as Autoplot) to serve their data in a multi-mission context and to use SSCWeb to assist community science planning and analysis. Among other current activities, we will also discuss and demonstrate our continuing effort to make the Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO) service comprehensive in all significant and NASA relevant heliophysics data. The OMNI and OMNI High Resolution datasets remain current and heavily cited in publications. We are expanding our FTP file services to include online archived non-CDF data from all active missions, which is a re-hosting of this function from NSSDC's FTP site. We have extended the definitions of time in CDF to unambiguously and consistently handle leap seconds. We are improving SSCWeb for much faster per1ormance, more capabilities and a web services inter1ace to Query functionality. We will also review how CDAWeb data can be easily accessed within IDL and new features in CDAWeb.

McGuire, Robert E.↗

NASA NTRS2011

24/7 Solar Minimum Polar Cap and Auroral Ion Temperature Observations

During the International Polar Year (IPY) two Incoherent Scatter Radars (ISRs) achieved close to 24/7 continuous observations. This presentation describes their data sets and specifically how they can provide the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) a fiduciary E- and F-region ionosphere description for solar minimum conditions in both the auroral and polar cap regions. The ionospheric description being electron density, ion temperature and electron temperature profiles from as low as 90 km extending to several scale heights above the F-layer peak. The auroral location is Poker Flat in Alaska at 65.1 N latitude, 212.5 E longitude where the NSF s new Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) is located. This location during solar minimum conditions is in the auroral region for most of the day but is at midlatitudes, equator ward of the cusp, for about 4-8 h per day dependent upon geomagnetic activity. In contrast the polar location is Svalbard, at 78.2 N latitude, 16.0 E longitude where the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR) is located. For most of the day the ESR is in the Northern Polar Cap with a noon sector passage often through the dayside cusp. Of unique relevance to IRI is that these extended observations have enabled the ionospheric morphology to be distinguished between quiet and disturbed geomagnetic conditions. During the IPY year, 1 March 2007 - 29 February 2008, about 50 solar wind Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) impacted geospace. Each CIR has a two to five day geomagnetic disturbance that is observed in the ESR and PFISR observations. Hence, this data set also enables the quiet-background ionospheric climatology to be established as a function of season and local time. These two separate climatologies for the ion temperature at an altitude of 300 km are presented and compared with IRI ion temperatures. The IRI ion temperatures are about 200-300 K hotter than the observed values. However, the MSIS neutral temperature at 300 km compares favorably with the quiet-background in temperature, both in magnitude and climatology.

Sojka, Jan J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Monitoring D-Region Variability from Lightning Measurements

In situ measurements of ionospheric D-region characteristics are somewhat scarce and rely mostly on sounding rockets. Remote sensing techniques employing Very Low Frequency (VLF) transmitters can provide electron density estimates from subionospheric wave propagation modeling. Here we discuss how lightning waveform measurements, namely sferics and tweeks, can be used for monitoring the D-region variability and day-night transition, and for local electron density estimates. A brief comparison among D-region aeronomy models is also presented.

Simoes, Fernando↗

NASA NTRS2010

The International Reference Ionosphere Today and in the Future

The international reference ionosphere (IRI) is the internationally recognized and recommended standard for the specification of plasma parameters in Earth's ionosphere. It describes monthly averages of electron density, electron temperature, ion temperature, ion composition, and several additional parameters in the altitude range from 60 to 1,500 km. A joint working group of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) is in charge of developing and improving the IRI model. As requested by COSPAR and URSI, IRI is an empirical model being based on most of the available and reliable data sources for the ionospheric plasma. The paper describes the latest version of the model and reviews efforts towards future improvements, including the development of new global models for the F2 peak density and height, and a new approach to describe the electron density in the topside and plasmasphere. Our emphasis will be on the electron density because it is the IRI parameter most relevant to geodetic techniques and studies. Annual IRI meetings are the main venue for the discussion of IRI activities, future improvements, and additions to the model. A new special IRI task force activity is focusing on the development of a real-time IRI (RT-IRI) by combining data assimilation techniques with the IRI model. A first RT-IRI task force meeting was held in 2009 in Colorado Springs. We will review the outcome of this meeting and the plans for the future. The IRI homepage is at http://www.IRI.gsfc.nasa.gov

Bilitza, Dieter↗

NASA NTRS2009

Relating OGO-5 H(+) Plasmapause Transitions to Mid-Latitude Topside-Ionospheric Signatures

Plasmapause transitions, as seen in the H + and He+ density gradients measured by the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory 5 (OGO 5) ion spectrometer [Sharp, IEE Trans. in Geosci. Elect., 1969], have been investigated in an attempt to relate them to their topside ionospheric signatures as seen in the Alouette-1 & 2 and ISIS-1 data. The satellite data were obtained from the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). A search of the OGO-5 data revealed 54 sharp plasmapause crossings as evaluated from the H+ density. The ionospheric footprints (at 1400 km altitude) of the magnetic-field lines through the locations of these plasmapause crossings were then used to search for topside ionospheric electron-density profiles from the NSSDC. No profiles corresponding to these projections were identified. A similar search of the topside-sounder 35-mm ionogram-film database, however, identified 17 cases of candidate "conjunctions" involving Alouette l & 2 and ISIS 1. We will present samples of the plasmapause OGO-5 ion transitions and the related topside ionospheric signatures and discuss the observations in relation to the recent similar study based on Explorer-45 and ISIS-2 data [Grebowsky et al., JASTP, 2009].

Truhlik, Vladimir↗

NASA NTRS2009

Investigating Changes in the High-Latitude Topside Ionosphere During Large Magnetic Storms

A search was conducted to locate periods of nearly simultaneous solar-wind and high latitude topside-ionospheric data during magnetic storms. The focus was on the 20-yr interval from 1965 to 1985 when both solar-wind and Alouette/ISIS topside-sounder data are potentially available. The search yielded 125 large magnetic storms (minimum Dst less than 100) and 280 moderate magnetic storms (minimum Dst between -60 and -100). Solar wind data were available for most, but not all, of these storms. A search of the available high-latitude topside electron-density Ne(h) profiles available from the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC), both from manual inspection of 35-mm film ionograms in the 1960s and more recent auto-processing of ISIS-2 topside digital ionograms using the TOPIST software, during 9-day intervals associated with the 125 large magnetic storm minimum Dst times yielded the following results: 31 intervals had 10 or more manual-scaled profiles (21 intervals had more than 100 profiles and 5 of these had more than 1,000 profiles), and 34 intervals had 10 or more TOPIST profiles (2 intervals had more than 100 profiles). In addition, a search of the available Alouette-2, ISIS-1 and ISIS-2 digital ionograms during the above periods has yielded encouraging initial results in that many ISIS-1 ionograms were found for the early time intervals. Future work will include the search for 35-mm film ionograms during selected intervals. This presentation will illustrate the results of this investigation to date.

Fainberg, Joseph↗