SCINDA Status & Plans Dr. Keith Groves Institute for Space Research LISN Workshop Sao José dos Campos S.P., Brasil 7-10 November 2011 Dr. Keith Groves Institute for Space Research Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA USA keith.groves@bc.edu

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!

OUTLINE SCINDA Purpose & Status African Initiative Plans & Summary Equipment Description Global Scintillation & Ionospheric Monitoring African Initiative Plans & Summary A bit about COPEX… PRN 7

Scintillation: Why we care Rapid amplitude and phase fluctuations of radio signals from space due to turbulence generated by Ionospheric Irregularities Regional UHF SATCOM outages for extended periods (hours) Increased Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation errors Degraded High Frequency (HF) radio communication 4

SCINTILLATION NETWORK DECISION AID (SCINDA) A regional nowcasting system to support basic research and users of space-based comm/nav systems 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 5

SCINDA Sensor Suite UHF SATCOM Receiver Tri-band Beacon System GPS Antenna UHF Antenna GPS Receiver

Typical Hardware Configuration Antenna Layout West Receiver East Receiver 50-150 meters 2 meters RG9913 Coaxial Cable (180 meters max.) Magnetic E-W Baseline cable out to antennas Shared Monitor VHF Computer GPS Computer VHF Receiver Internet / Local Network GPS Receiver KVM Switch Keyboard GPS Antenna LEGACY SLIDE, MIGHT DELETE Figure 5. VHF (250 MHz) Receiver Chain and Data Acquisition System Receivers Set-Up 7

Software Digital Radio Technology 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 Any single channel subject to satellite modulation Example of good agreement with the old system (red) and the software digital radio (green) during a strong scintillation period. SDR captures entire UHF SATCOM spectrum; collectively a good channel is always available Software-based system exhibits lower noise floor

SCINDA Ground Stations Present and anticipated thru 2012 30N 30S Recent SCINDA Focus LISN Domain 210E 240E 270E 300E 330E 30E 60E 90E 120E 150E Existing Sites Future UN ISWI Sites Other collaboration

Scintillation Activity in Africa Strength of scintillations over Africa unknown Adapted from S.Y. Su, 2005 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

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

1st SCINDA-IHY Workshop in Africa 10-14 Jul 2006 – Espargos, Cape Verde

2nd SCINDA-IHY Workshop in Africa 11 Nov 2007 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Bigger…

3rd SCINDA-IHY Workshop in Africa 7-12 Jun 2009, Livingstone, Zambia 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 Needs Congo Brazzaville, 2-6 Nov 2011

VHF & GPS Sensor Data Nairobi, 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

Meridional Structure & Evolution: COPEX TEC Central Brazil Oct-Nov 2002 13-19 October Mlat VTEC 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 1-7 December Mlat Local Time VTEC 3-9 November Local Time VTEC

Longitudinal Variations: Continental Scale 14 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 27 Oct ASI ASI ASI ASI WEST KIN KIN KIN KIN CENTRAL ZNZ ZNZ ZNZ ZNZ EAST Synoptic scale features can be resolved with current network, but better resolution is needed

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 2010 VHF 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