DETECTION OF EQUATORIAL PLASMA BUBBLES USING GPS IONOSPHERIC TOMOGRAPHY OVER PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

This paper presents the detection of the equatorial plasma bubbles (EPB) using the Global Positioning System (GPS) ionospheric tomography method over Peninsular Malaysia. This paper aims to investigate the capability of the GPS ionospheric tomography method in detecting the variations of the EPB over the study area. In doing so, a previous case study during post-sunset 5th April 2011 has been selected as a reference for the detection of the EPBs over the study area. It has been observed that at least three structures of the EPBs have been captured based on the rate of change total electron content (TEC) index (ROTI) from 12 UT until 19 UT. Therefore, the three-dimensional ionospheric profiles have been reconstructed over Peninsular Malaysia using the tomography method during the study period in order to capture the signature of the EPBs. In this study, the detection of the EPBs using the tomography method is based on the rate of change of electron density (ROTNe). The results from three-dimensional ionospheric tomography show only two structures of EPBs are detected during the study period. It has been observed that the ROTNe depleted up to ~-12x109el/cm. Overall, the results in this study show that the GPS ionospheric tomography capable to be utilized in detecting the variations of EPBs in support of ionospheric studies and monitoring in the Malaysian region.

Spread-F characteristics over Tucumán near the southern anomaly crest in South America during the descending phase of solar cycle 24

Ionospheric F-region irregularities can acutely affect navigation and communication systems. To develop predictive capabilities on their occurrence, it is key to understand their variabilities in a wide range of time scales. Previous studies at low latitudes in South America have been performed mostly in the eastern region. However, there are still few reports on the spread-F over Argentina owing to a lack of ionosonde data. This work presents the analysis of the spread-F (range spread-F and frequency spread-F) and plasma bubble occurrence characteristics near the southern crest of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly in Argentina (Tucumán, 26.8°S, 65.2°W; magnetic latitude 15.5°S). We used ionosonde and Global Positioning System (GPS) data from November 2014 to December 2019 for different solar and geomagnetic conditions. The data show that spread-F and plasma bubble occurrence rates peak in local summer and are minimum in equinox and winter, respectively. There is a negative correlation between each type of spread-F and solar activity, whereas the opposite happens for plasma bubbles. Geomagnetic activity suppresses the generation of spread-F in equinox and summer and enhances it in winter. Plasma bubble occurrence is higher during disturbed days than during quiet days, but under medium solar activity, summer months register more plasma bubbles in quiet conditions. Range spread-F observed in winter under low solar activity is not associated with plasma bubbles originated at the magnetic equator. These results contribute to the knowledge necessary to improve the prediction of the spatial and temporal distribution of the night-time ionospheric irregularities.

A ROTI-Aided Equatorial Plasma Bubbles Detection Method

In this study, we present a Rate of Total Electron Content Index (ROTI)-aided equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) detection method based on a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC). This technique seeks the EPBs occurrence time according to the ROTI values and then extracts the detrended ionospheric TEC series, which include EPBs signals using a low-order, partial polynomial fitting strategy. The EPBs over the Hong Kong area during the year of 2014 were detected using this technique. The results show that the temporal distribution and occurrence of EPBs over the Hong Kong area are consistent with that of previous reports, and most of the TEC depletion error is smaller than 1.5 TECU (average is 0.63 TECU), suggesting that the detection method is feasible and highly accurate. Furthermore, this technique can extract the TEC depletion series more effectively, especially for those with a long duration, compared to previous method.