Print Email Facebook Twitter Two-Dimensional Reconstruction of Ionospheric Plasma Density Variations Using Swarm Title Two-Dimensional Reconstruction of Ionospheric Plasma Density Variations Using Swarm Author Fæhn Follestad, A. (Universitetet i Oslo) Clausen, L. B.N. (Universitetet i Oslo) Miloch, W. J. (Universitetet i Oslo) van den IJssel, J.A.A. (TU Delft Astrodynamics & Space Missions) Haagmans, R. (European Space Agency (ESA)) Date 2020-06-01 Abstract Space weather phenomena such as scintillations of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals are of increasing importance for aviation, the maritime, and civil engineering industries. The ionospheric plasma irregularities causing scintillations are associated with strong gradients in ionospheric plasma density. To provide nowcasts and forecasts of space weather effects, it is vital to monitor the ionosphere and detect strong density variations. To reconstruct plasma density variations in the polar cap ionosphere, we use total electron content (TEC) estimates from the Swarm satellites' GPS receivers. By considering events where the Swarm satellites are in close proximity, we obtain plasma density variations by inverting TEC measurements on a two-dimensional grid. We first demonstrate the method using synthetic test data, before applying it to real data. The method is validated using in situ Langmuir probe measurements and ground-based TEC observations. We find that the new method can reproduce density variations, although it is sensitive to the geometry of the Swarm satellite constellation and to the calculated plasma temperature. Our proposed method opens new possibilities for ionospheric plasma monitoring that uses GPS receivers aboard low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Subject ionospherepolar cappolar cap patchesspace weatherSwarm To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:b73b14be-644a-47bc-a6aa-6b379c30d9c8 DOI https://doi.org/10.1029/2019SW002406 ISSN 1542-7390 Source Space Weather: the international journal of research and applications, 18 (6) Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2020 A. Fæhn Follestad, L. B.N. Clausen, W. J. Miloch, J.A.A. van den IJssel, R. Haagmans Files PDF 2019SW002406.pdf 3.98 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:b73b14be-644a-47bc-a6aa-6b379c30d9c8/datastream/OBJ/view