Ionospheric irregularities diffract and refract radio waves. These effects present as Global Positioning System (GPS) signal phase and/or amplitude scintillation. The proposed activities consist of analyzing ionospheric irregularities sensed by a GPS scintillation array at the Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR) in Alaska that can resolve horizontal scales as small as 10 km. The Principal Investigators (PIs) will recover properties of the plasma structures such as electron content, drift velocity, and the horizontal dimensions of the irregularities. A primary research goal is to use the spatial structuring information to characterize the E- and F-region turbulence energy cascades.
These tasks will clarify whether turbulence explains observed GPS scintillations, and enhance understanding of the role of turbulence in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Broader impacts include career development of 2 junior faculty - at least one of them female - and graduate student support. This research is also highly pertinent to the National Space Weather Action Plan. During extreme events, the E- and F-region irregularities that are the focus of this research's science can migrate to lower latitudes and significantly affect communications and navigation systems. Through its support and utilization of GPS, radio and optical data, this research maintains observational capability for space-weather operations.
