TY - Generic T1 - Citizen Science: Development of a Low-Cost Magnetometer System for a Coordinated Space Weather Monitoring T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2024 Y1 - 2024 A1 - Joseph Visone A1 - Hyomin Kim A1 - David Witten A1 - Julius Madey A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - John Gibbons A1 - William D. Engelke A1 - Anderson Liddle A1 - Nicholas Muscolino A1 - Zhaoshu Cao AB -

As part of Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) project, a low-cost, commercial off-the-shelf magnetometer has been developed to provide quantitative and qualitative measurements of the geospace environment from the ground for both scientific and operational purposes at a cost that will allow for crowd-sourced data contributions. The PSWS magnetometers employ a magneto-inductive sensor technology to record three-axis magnetic field variations with a field resolution of ~3 nT at a 1 Hz sample rate. Crowd-sourced data from the PSWS systems will be collected into a central archive for the purpose of public access and analyzation along with space weather research. Ultimately, data from the PSWS network will combine the magnetometer measurements with high frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) radio observations to monitor large scale current systems and ionospheric disturbances and events due to drivers from space and the atmosphere alike. A densely-spaced magnetometer array, once established, will demonstrate their space weather monitoring capability to an unprecedented spatial extent. Magnetic field data obtained by the magnetometers installed at various locations in the US are presented and compared with the existing magnetometers nearby, demonstrating that the performance is entirely satisfactory for scientific investigations.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2024 PB - HamSCI CY - Cleveland, OH ER - TY - Generic T1 - University of Michigan Space Weather Sensor Package T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2024 Y1 - 2024 A1 - Theodore Masterson A1 - Mark B. Moldwin A1 - Lauro Ojeda A1 - Julio Vata A1 - Isaac Fertig A1 - Alex Hofmann A1 - Brian Tsang AB -

Ground magnetometer and dual frequency GPS systems are used to measure space weather effects observed in geomagnetic disturbances and variations in Total Electron Content (TEC). However, such systems are usually cost-prohibitive, susceptible to noise from human infrastructure, and difficult to deploy and maintain. Our team has been working on a low-cost space weather sensor package that can be easily deployed and requires low maintenance while having good magnetic and TEC data accuracy. The system has multiple options with respect to power (e.g., AC powered or solar panel and battery system), communication (Cat5 internet, Wi-Fi, Cellular or satellite modem), and sensors (use of network protocol time, single frequency GPS time stamping, or dual frequency GPS for both time and TEC). This presentation describes the low-cost magnetometer sensor package, the simple user interfaces, and design of the electrical and structural components for ease of manufacturing. We have developed a prototype for a system that is much cheaper and easier to mass-produce and install than current commercial systems, and real-world testing has shown that these systems function reliably.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2024 PB - HamSCI CY - Cleveland, OH ER - TY - Generic T1 - Electrostatic and Quantum Size Effects in Short Channel MOSFETs T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2023 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Robert Troy A1 - Aidan Szabo A1 - Argyros Varonides AB -
Two dimensional electrostatics and quantum size effects have become important features of modern short channel MOSFET device design where the surface potential becomes spatially dependent affecting the threshold voltage Several nanometer channel lengths between Source and Drain cause quantum effects that need to be addressed in modern MOSFET design. We present a model of electron transport in the 2D inversion layer, where (a) electrostatic and (b) quantum size effects are pointed out.
JF - HamSCI Workshop 2023 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Lunar Dust Particle Simulation in the (12-6) Lennard-Jones Potential Approximation T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2023 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Rachel Marie Frissell A1 - Joseph Klobusicky A1 - Argyrios Varonides A1 - Amir Zamanian AB -

We model lunar dust particles as interacting ellipsoidal dipoles by means of Lennard-Jones potentials (L-J). Lunar surface dust particles are continuously bombarded by plasma charge particles coming from the solar wind. It has been recognized that solar wind bombardment leads to strong intergrain interactions between dust particulates leading to collective effects such as attraction of charged dust particles. Formation of electrostatically ordered dust structures is believed to be due to strong attractive van der Waals-like potentials at distances in the order of interparticle separation. Dust-dust electrostatic interactions and collisions may lead to particle coalescence or dust-lumps kept together due to Coulomb forces. On the other hand, dust ionization occurs after solar wind electrons collide with grains in the plasma sheath formed on the lunar surface. Particle coalescence and to an extent condensation is feasible when an attractive potential is present. Ellipsoidal dipole condensation is possible in the presence of a Lennard-Jones (L-J) potential.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2023 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA ER - TY - Generic T1 - PyLap: An Open Source Python Interface to the PHaRLAP Ionospheric Raytracing Toolkit T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2023 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Devin Diehl A1 - Gerard Piccini A1 - Alexander Calderon A1 - Joshua Vega A1 - William Liles A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell AB -

PyLap is a Python interface to the ionospheric ray tracing toolkit PHaRLAP. The software allows users to generate accurate models of the ionosphere and ray tracing to make plots of radio propagation through the ionosphere. Not only does this software look, feel, and operate very similarly to how the MATLAB interface is currently used, it is also completely free alternative to the current MATLAB interface.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2023 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Toward Developing an Algorithm for Separation of Transmitters of High Frequency Chirp Signals of Opportunity for the Purpose of Ionospheric Sounding T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2023 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Simal Sami A1 - Nisha Yadav A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - Robert Spalletta A1 - Declan Mulhall A1 - Dev Raj Joshi A1 - Juha Vierinen JF - HamSCI Workshop 2023 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Validating Ionospheric Models Against Technologically Relevant MetricsAbstractPlain Language SummaryKey Points JF - Space Weather Y1 - 2023 A1 - Chartier, A. T. A1 - Steele, J. A1 - Sugar, G. A1 - Themens, D. R. A1 - Vines, S. K. A1 - Huba, J. D. AB -

New, open access tools have been developed to validate ionospheric models in terms of technologically relevant metrics. These are ionospheric errors on GPS 3D position, HF ham radio communications, and peak F-region density. To demonstrate these tools, we have used output from Sami is Another Model of the Ionosphere (SAMI3) driven by high-latitude electric potentials derived from Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment, covering the first available month of operation using Iridium-NEXT data (March 2019). Output of this model is now available for visualization and download via https://sami3.jhuapl.edu. The GPS test indicates SAMI3 reduces ionospheric errors on 3D position solutions from 1.9 m with no model to 1.6 m on average (maximum error: 14.2 m without correction, 13.9 m with correction). SAMI3 predicts 55.5% of reported amateur radio links between 2–30 MHz and 500–2,000 km. Autoscaled and then machine learning “cleaned” Digisonde NmF2 data indicate a 1.0 × 1011 el. m3 median positive bias in SAMI3 (equivalent to a 27% overestimation). The positive NmF2 bias is largest during the daytime, which may explain the relatively good performance in predicting HF links then. The underlying data sources and software used here are publicly available, so that interested groups may apply these tests to other models and time intervals.

VL - 21 UR - https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023SW003590https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2023SW003590https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2023SW003590 IS - 12 JO - Space Weather ER - TY - Generic T1 - Web-Based Application for the Visualization and Analysis of Ionogram Data Observed by GNU Chirpsounder2 T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2023 Y1 - 2023 A1 - Nisha Yadav A1 - Simal Sami A1 - Dev Raj Joshi A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - Robert A. Spalletta A1 - Paul M. Jackowitz A1 - Juha Vierinen AB -

The focus of my system is to develop a web-based application for the visualization and analysis of data observed by GNU Chirpsounder2. We receive many ionograms each day from different transmitters around the world. Currently, data is in an unsorted format, so my initial task is to classify ionograms by chirp-rate and distance of the transmitter from the receiver. Once these two parameters are identified, it is necessary to have a method for sorting, analyzing, and visualizing the collected ionograms to conduct scientific studies or make the observations useful for radio communications operations.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2023 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Mid-latitude Irregularities Observed by the Oblique Ionosonde Sounding Mode for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2022 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Dev Raj Joshi A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - Juha Vierinen AB -

The spread in the echoes of high-frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) radio waves from the F-region of the ionosphere was one of the earliest indications of plasma density irregularities in the mid-latitude F region ionosphere. Although mid-latitude spread F has been widely studied, the plasma instability mechanisms that create these irregularities are still largely unknown. This phenomenon can cause radio wave scintillation effects that degrade the performance of human-made technologies such as satellite communications and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Here, we present signatures of mid-latitude irregularities observed in oblique ionograms received near Scranton, PA transmitted by the Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR) in Chesapeake, Virginia. These observations are collected with the GNU Chirpsounder2 software, an open source software package capable of creating ionograms from frequency modulated (FM) chirp ionosondes. This ionospheric sounding mode will be implemented in the currently under-development Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS), a ground-based multi-instrument system designed to remote-sense the ionosphere using signals of opportunity. Using the data from the oblique ionograms, we generate the Range Time Intensity (RTI) plots that show ionospheric dynamics through measured path length variations as a function of time. We also compare the RTI plots with Range-Time-Parameter (RTP) plots from the SuperDARN HF  radar in Blackstone, Virginia which commonly observes direct backscatter from decameter-scale irregularities within the region of ionosphere traversed by the ROTHR signal. We also investigate the dependence of the occurrence of the mid-latitude irregularities on the level of the geomagnetic activity.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2022 PB - HamSCI CY - Huntsville, AL ER - TY - Generic T1 - An Overview of Oblique Soundings from Chirp Ionosondes T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2022 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Simal Sami A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - Mary Lou West A1 - Dev Raj Joshi A1 - Juha Vierinen AB -

An ionospheric sounder, typically known as an ionosonde, is a radar device which is used to make observations of the ionized layer of the Earth’s upper atmosphere known as the ionosphere. The ionosonde works by transmitting high frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) radio waves and observing the time delay of the ionospheric echoes. Ionosondes play an especially crucial role in our understanding both ionospheric dynamics and how radio wave propagation is impacted by the ionosphere. The data from an ionosonde is displayed in a type of plot known as an ionogram. A chirp ionosonde is a type of ionospheric sounder that produces ionograms by transmitting an HF signal that changes linearly in frequency with time. Conventional chirp ionosondes are used in a vertical sounding mode, in which signals are transmitted directly up to the ionosphere. This allows for measurements of electron density as a function of height for the bottomside ionosphere. Chirp ionosondes may also be used in an oblique sounding configuration, in which the transmitter and receiver are separated by a significant geographic distance. While the measurements of an oblique sounder are more complicated to interpret than a vertical sounder, a single transmitter can be used simultaneously by receivers in many different locations, thus allowing for a cost-effective increase in the number of ionospheric sampling points. The HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station plans to take advantage of this fact by using signals-of-opportunity from the global network of pre-existing chirp ionosonde transmitters. In this presentation, we give a brief overview of chirp ionosondes and their uses in studying ionospheric dynamics.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2022 PB - HamSCI CY - Huntsville, AL ER - TY - Generic T1 - Ray Tracing in Python Utilizing the PHaRLAP Engine T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2022 Y1 - 2022 A1 - Alexander Calderon A1 - William Liles A1 - Nathaniel Frissell A1 - Joshua Vega AB -

Provision of High-Frequency Raytracing Laboratory for Propagation (PHaRLAP) is an ionospheric ray tracing library developed by the Australian Department of Defence (DOD). PHaRLAP is freely available as a MATLAB toolbox downloadable from an Australian DOD website. PHaRLAP is capable of numerically ray tracing radio propagation paths using 2D and 3D algorithms through model ionospheres, most typically the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). In an effort to make PHaRLAP available to a wider user community we are porting the PHaRLAP MATLAB toolbox to the open source Python 3 language while retaining the original core PHaRLAP computational engine. In this presentation, we describe the architecture of the new Python 3 PHaRLAP interface and demonstrate examples of 2D ray traces using the new interface.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2022 PB - HamSCI CY - Huntsville, AL ER - TY - Generic T1 - Beacon Programme to study inland Tropo in South Africa T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2021 Y1 - 2021 A1 - Hans van de Groenendaal A1 - Brian Jacobs AB -

On the West Coast of South Africa contacts via Tropospheric ducting with St Helena Island occur regularly and are generally well predicted on the Hepburn charts. While some sporadic tropospheric conditions inland have resulted in long distance two metre contacts they mostly occurred by accident, someone just happens to be on the air. A few years ago, the South African Radio League (SARL) embarked on a beacon programme with the aim to study Tropospheric and other propagation modes on VHF. It was planned to link the beacon programme with a reverse beacon monitoring system. It turned out that CW beacons are not particularly useful as the reverse beacon monitoring system requires a fairly strong signal to identify the beacon signal. This defeated the objective of the study. The SARL has now opted for a next generation beacon system of which the first one will go on the air during March 2021. AMSAT SA is partnering with the SARL and has launched a crowd funding initiative to generate more funding to accelerate the process and erect more beacons and expedite a reverse beacon network. The paper will introduce the objectives of the programme, the challenges of being at the southern point of Africa, details of the next generation beacon system and the development of a reverse beacon monitoring system.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2021 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA (Virtual) UR - https://hamsci2021-uscranton.ipostersessions.com/?s=74-34-37-9E-AA-7E-F5-CF-CF-FD-00-3F-96-71-A9-0E ER - TY - CONF T1 - Early Results from the Ionospheric Sounding Mode Using Chirp Ionosondes of Opportunity for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station T2 - 2021 XXXIVth General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI GASS) Y1 - 2021 A1 - Joshi, Dev A1 - Frissell, Nathaniel A1 - Liles, William A1 - Vierinen, Juha A1 - Miller, Ethan S. AB -

The objective of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) project is to develop a distributed array of ground-based multi-instrument nodes capable of remote sensing the geospace system. This system is being designed with the intention of distribution to a large number of amateur radio and citizen science observers. This will create an unprecedented opportunity to probe the ionosphere at finer resolution in both time and space as all measurements will be collected into a central database for coordinated analysis. Individual nodes are being designed to service the needs of the professional space science researcher while being cost-accessible and of interest to amateur radio operators and citizen scientists. At the heart of the HamSCI PSWS will be a high performance 0.1–60 MHz software defined radio (SDR) [1] with GNSS-based precision timestamping and frequency reference. This SDR is known as the TangerineSDR and is being developed by the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) amateur radio organization. The primary objective of PSWS system is to gather observations to understand the short term and small spatial scale ionospheric variabilities in the ionosphere-thermosphere system. These variabilities are important for understanding a variety of geophysical phenomena such as Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) [2], Ionospheric absorption events, geomagnetic storms and substorms. We present early results suggesting signature of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) from an ionospheric sounding mode that we intend to implement on the PSWS system, currently implemented on an Ettus N200 Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) using the open source GNU Chirpsounder data collection and analysis code.

JF - 2021 XXXIVth General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI GASS) ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI Personal Space Weather: Architecture and Applications to Radio Astronomy T2 - Annual (Summer) Eastern Conference Y1 - 2021 A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - Scott H. Cowling A1 - Thomas C. McDermott A1 - John Ackermann A1 - David Typinski A1 - William D. Engelke A1 - David R. Larsen A1 - David G. McGaw A1 - Hyomin Kim A1 - David M. Witten, II A1 - Julius M. Madey A1 - Kristina V. Collins A1 - John C. Gibbons A1 - David Kazdan A1 - Aidan Montare A1 - Dev Raj Joshi A1 - Veronica I. Romanek A1 - Cuong D. Nguyen A1 - Stephen A. Cerwin A1 - William Liles A1 - Jonathan D. Rizzo A1 - Ethan S. Miller A1 - Juha Vierinen A1 - Philip J. Erickson A1 - Mary Lou West AB -

The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) project is a citizen science initiative to develop a new modular set of ground-based instrumentation for the purpose of studying the structure and dynamics of the terrestrial ionosphere, as well as the larger, coupled geospace system. PSWS system instrumentation includes radio receivers sensitive to frequencies ranging from the very low frequency (VLF) through very high frequency (VHF) bands, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver to provide Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements and serve as a precision time and frequency reference, and a ground magnetometer sensitive to ionospheric and geospace currents. Although the PSWS is designed primarily for space weather and space science, its modular and open design in both hardware and software allows for a variety of use cases. The core radio instrument of the PSWS, the TangerineSDR, is a wideband, direct sampling 100~kHz to 60~MHz field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based software defined radio (SDR) receiver with direct applicability to radio astronomy. In this paper, we describe the PSWS and TangerineSDR architecture, show examples of how the TangerineSDR could be used to observe Jovian decametric emission, and discuss the applicability of the TangerineSDR to radio astronomy in general.

JF - Annual (Summer) Eastern Conference PB - Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) CY - Virtual UR - https://rasdr.org/store/books/books/journals/proceedings-of-annual-conference ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS): Architecture and Current Status T2 - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Y1 - 2021 A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - Dev Joshi A1 - Veronica I. Romanek A1 - Kristina V. Collins A1 - Aidan Montare A1 - David Kazdan A1 - John Gibbons A1 - William D. Engelke A1 - Travis Atkison A1 - Hyomin Kim A1 - Scott H. Cowling A1 - Thomas C. McDermott A1 - John Ackermann A1 - David Witten A1 - Julius Madey A1 - H. Ward Silver A1 - William Liles A1 - Steven Cerwin A1 - Philip J. Erickson A1 - Ethan S. Miller A1 - Juha Vierinen AB -

Recent advances in geospace remote sensing have shown that large-scale distributed networks of ground-based sensors pay large dividends by providing a big picture view of phenomena that were previously observed only by point-measurements. While existing instrument networks provide excellent insight into ionospheric and space science, the system remains undersampled and more observations are needed to advance understanding. In an effort to generate these additional measurements, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI, hamsci.org) is working with the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR, tapr.org), an engineering organization comprised of volunteer amateur radio operators and engineers, to develop a network of Personal Space Weather Stations (PSWS). These instruments that will provide scientific-grade observations of signals-of-opportunity across the HF bands from volunteer citizen observers as part of the NSF Distributed Array of Small Instruments (DASI) program. A performance-driven PSWS design (~US$500) will be a modular, multi-instrument device that will consist of a dual-channel phase-locked 0.1-60 MHz software defined radio (SDR) receiver, a ground magnetometer with (~10 nT resolution and 1-sec cadence), and GPS/GNSS receiver to provide precision time stamping and serve as a GPS disciplined oscillator (GPSDO) to provide stability to the SDR receiver. A low-cost PSWS (< US$100) that measures Doppler shift of HF signals received from standards stations such as WWV (US) and CHU (Canada) and includes a magnetometer is also being developed. HF sounding algorithms making use of signals of opportunity will be developed for the SDR-based PSWS. All measurements will be collected into a central database for coordinated analysis and made available for public access.

JF - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) PB - CEDAR CY - Virtual ER - TY - Generic T1 - HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS): Fall 2021 Update T2 - TAPR-ARRL Digital Communications Conference Y1 - 2021 A1 - Frissell, Nathaniel A. A1 - Joshi, Dev Raj A1 - Collins, Kristina A1 - Montare Aidan A1 - Kazdan, David A1 - Engelke, William D. A1 - Atkison, Travis A1 - Kim, Hyomin A1 - Cowling, Scott H. A1 - McDermott, Thomas C. A1 - Ackermann, John A1 - Witten, David A1 - Madey, Jules A1 - Silver, H. Ward A1 - Liles, W. A1 - Cerwin, Stephen A. A1 - Erickson, Phillip J. A1 - Miller, Ethan S, A1 - Vierinen, Juha JF - TAPR-ARRL Digital Communications Conference PB - ARRL-TAPR CY - Virtual UR - https://youtu.be/MHkz7jNynOg?t=1990 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Mid-latitude Irregularities in the Early Results from the Ionospheric Sounding Mode Using Chirp Ionosondes of Opportunity for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2021 Y1 - 2021 A1 - Dev Joshi A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - William Liles A1 - Juha Vierinen A1 - Ethan S. Miller AB -

The objective of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) project is to develop a distributed array of ground-based multi-instrument nodes capable of remote sensing the geospace system. This system is being designed with the intention of distribution to a large number of amateur radio and citizen science observers. This will create an unprecedented opportunity to probe the ionosphere at finer resolution in both time and space as all measurements will be collected into a central database for coordinated analysis. Individual nodes are being designed to service the needs of the professional space science researcher while being cost-accessible and of interest to amateur radio operators and citizen scientists. At the heart of the HamSCI PSWS will be a high performance 1 – 50 MHz software defined radio (SDR) with GNSS-based precision timestamping and frequency reference. This SDR is known as the TangerineSDR and is being developed by the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) amateur radio organization. The primary objective of PSWS system is to gather observations to understand the short term and small spatial scale ionospheric variabilities in the ionosphere-thermosphere system. These variabilities are important for understanding a variety of geophysical phenomena such as Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs), Ionospheric absorption events, geomagnetic storms and substorms. We present early results suggesting signatures of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) from an ionospheric sounding mode that we intend to implement on the PSWS system, currently implemented on an Ettus N200 Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) using the open source GNU Chirpsounder data collection and analysis code.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2021 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA (Virtual) ER - TY - CONF T1 - Observations of Mid-latitude Irregularities Using the Oblique Ionosonde Sounding Mode for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station T2 - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Y1 - 2021 A1 - Dev Joshi A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - William Liles A1 - Juha Vierinen AB -

The spread in the echoes of high-frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) radio waves from the F-region of the ionosphere has been the earliest indication of plasma density irregularities in the mid-latitude F region ionosphere. Although mid-latitude spread F has been widely studied, the plasma instability mechanisms for these irregularities are still largely unknown. This phenomenon can cause radio wave scintillation effects that degrade the performance of man-made technologies such as satellite communications and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Understanding these irregularities so that they can be anticipated and mitigated are important aspects of space weather research. The occurrence climatology and variability can also be helpful in modeling efforts of these irregularities. Here, we present signatures of mid-latitude irregularities observed in oblique ionograms received near Scranton, PA transmitted by the Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR) in Chesapeake, Virginia. These observations are collected with the GNU Chirpsounder2 software, an open-source software package capable of creating ionograms from frequency modulated (FM) chirp ionosondes. This ionospheric sounding mode will be implemented in the currently under development Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS), a ground-based multi-instrument system designed to remote-sense the ionosphere using signals of opportunity.

JF - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) PB - CEDAR CY - Virtual ER - TY - Generic T1 - Observations of Mid-latitude Irregularities Using the Oblique Ionosonde Sounding Mode for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station (Proceedings) T2 - ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference Y1 - 2021 A1 - Joshi, Dev Raj A1 - Frissell, Nathaniel A. A1 - Liles, William A1 - Vierinen, Juha JF - ARRL-TAPR Digital Communications Conference PB - ARRL-TAPR CY - Virtual UR - https://youtu.be/kVY3E3e--_I?t=2542 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Observations of Mid-latitude Irregularities Using the Oblique Ionosonde Sounding Mode for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station T2 - American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Y1 - 2021 A1 - Joshi, Dev Raj A1 - Frissell, Nathaniel A. A1 - Sarwar, M. Shaaf A1 - Sami, Simal A1 - Ruohoniemi, J. Michael A1 - Baker, Joseph B. H. A1 - Coster, Anthea J. A1 - Erickson, Philip J. A1 - Liles, William A1 - Vierinen, Juha A1 - Groves, Keith AB -

The spread in the echoes of high-frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) radio waves from the F-region of the ionosphere was one of the earliest indications of plasma density irregularities in the mid-latitude F region ionosphere. Although mid-latitude spread F has been widely studied, the plasma instability mechanisms that create these irregularities are still largely unknown. This phenomenon can cause radio wave scintillation effects that degrade the performance of human-made technologies such as satellite communications and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Understanding these irregularities so that they can be anticipated and mitigated are important aspects of space weather research. The occurrence climatology and variability can also be helpful in validating models of these irregularities. Here, we present signatures of mid-latitude irregularities observed in oblique ionograms received near Scranton, PA transmitted by the Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR) in Chesapeake, Virginia. These observations are collected with the GNU Chirpsounder2 software, an open source software package capable of creating ionograms from frequency modulated (FM) chirp ionosondes. This ionospheric sounding mode will be implemented in the currently under-development Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS), a ground-based multi-instrument system designed to remote-sense the ionosphere using signals of opportunity. Using the data from the oblique ionograms, we generate the Range Time Intensity (RTI) plots that show ionospheric dynamics through measured path length variations as a function of time. We also compare the RTI plots with Range-Time-Parameter (RTP) plots from the SuperDARN HF radar in Blackstone, Virginia which commonly observes direct backscatter from decameter-scale irregularities within the region of ionosphere traversed by the ROTHR signal.

JF - American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting PB - American Geophysical Union CY - New Orleans, LA UR - https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm21/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/875589 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Plasma Bubble and Blob Events in the F-region Ionosphere T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2021 Y1 - 2021 A1 - Sovit Khadka A1 - Cesar Valladares A1 - Andrew Gerrard AB -

The equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) and plasma blobs (enhancements) are, in general, the nighttime phenomena of ionospheric plasma irregularities in the F-region ionosphere. This study presents plasma bubble and blob events identified from the SWARM satellite constellation when it flies above the American continent. We have also simultaneously examined the behavior of total electron content (TEC), its depletions, and enhancements in the equatorial/low/mid-latitude F-region ionosphere detected from ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers in the American sector. The in situ observations of bubble and blob events are concurrently supported by GPS-TEC measurement from the ground. Additionally, the coordinated ground- and satellite-based observations indicate that the ground-based data show the variability of the background ionosphere prior, during, and later than the development time of the EPBs as seen by the SWARM. For this limited analysis, the plasma blob events are mostly seen at/nearby mid-latitude regions. Finally, we discuss the possible mechanism of the generation, evolution, and relationship between EPBs and plasma blobs in the F-region ionosphere.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2021 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA (Virtual) UR - https://hamsci2021-uscranton.ipostersessions.com/?s=51-F0-AC-9D-0C-7E-D9-A3-FC-F1-2E-13-F2-6E-34-90 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Simultaneous observations of mid-latitude Ionospheric Irregularities in HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station and SuperDARN radar T2 - SuperDARN Workshop Y1 - 2021 A1 - Joshi, Dev Raj A1 - Frissell, Nathaniel A. A1 - Liles, William A1 - Vierinen, Juha JF - SuperDARN Workshop PB - SANSA CY - Virtual UR - https://www.sansa.org.za/events-outreach/superdarn-workshop-2021/ ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Sun and the Earthquakes T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2021 Y1 - 2021 A1 - Edmondo Manuel Vasiu Vasiu AB -

Since 2017 I have been studying and contrasting the turbulence and solar wind data, observing the close relationship between the two, I currently have a YouTube channel where I am dedicated to forecasting these seismic events based on the heliospheric graphs provided by NOAA, the Space weather influences volcanic activity, earthquakes and the climate on earth, I could also observe the negative impact on people, the prolonged zero magnetic index or geomagnetic storms.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2021 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA (Virtual) ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI Distributed Array of Small Instruments Personal Space Weather Station (DASI-PSWS): Architecture and Current Status (Invited) T2 - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Y1 - 2020 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - D. Joshi A1 - K. Collins A1 - A. Montare A1 - D. Kazdan A1 - J. Gibbons A1 - S. Mandal A1 - W. Engelke A1 - T. Atkison A1 - H. Kim A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - S. H. Cowling A1 - T. C. McDermott A1 - J. Ackermann A1 - D. Witten A1 - H. W. Silver A1 - W. Liles A1 - S. Cerwin A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - E. S. Miller AB -

Recent advances in geospace remote sensing have shown that large-scale distributed networks of ground-based sensors pay large dividends by providing a big picture view of phenomena that were previously observed only by point-measurements. While existing instrument networks provide excellent insight into ionospheric and space science, the system remains undersampled and more observations are needed to advance understanding. In an effort to generate these additional measurements, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI, hamsci.org) is working with the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR, tapr.org), an engineering organization comprised of volunteer amateur radio operators and engineers, to develop a network of Personal Space Weather Stations (PSWS). These instruments that will provide scientific-grade observations of signals-of-opportunity across the HF bands from volunteer citizen observers as part of the NSF Distributed Array of Small Instruments (DASI) program. A performance-driven PSWS design (~US$500) will be a modular, multi-instrument device that will consist of a dual-channel phase-locked 0.1-60 MHz software defined radio (SDR) receiver, a ground magnetometer with (~10 nT resolution and 1-sec cadence), and GPS/GNSS receiver to provide precision time stamping and serve as a GPS disciplined oscillator (GPSDO) to provide stability to the SDR receiver. A low-cost PSWS (< US$100) that measures Doppler shift of HF signals received from standards stations such as WWV (US) and CHU (Canada) and includes a magnetometer is also being developed. HF sounding algorithms making use of signals of opportunity will be developed for the SDR-based PSWS. All measurements will be collected into a central database for coordinated analysis and made available for public access.

JF - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) CY - Santa Fe, NM (Virtual) UR - http://cedarweb.vsp.ucar.edu/wiki/index.php/2020_Workshop:MainVG ER - TY - CONF T1 - The Language of Amateur Radio (ePoster) T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2020 Y1 - 2020 A1 - David Vine AB -

The survival of Amateur Radio demands big changes in the Language of Amateur Radio. Radio Amateurs must think and speak in terms of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math  (STEM) educational concepts that appeal to school and college students. STEM educated young people are critically important in maintaining our country's global competitiveness. Another aspect of the Language of Amateur Radio is to reconsider use of the word "hobby" in favor of stronger concepts such as "Enterprise." Amateur Radio in total generates a small but substantial economic impact and provides public service too. No other endeavor touches upon all aspects of STEM subjects so use of the word "hobby" to describe Amateur Radio may be misleading to many people.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2020 PB - HamSCI CY - Scranton, PA ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station: A New Tool for Citizen Science Geospace Research T2 - USNC–URSI National Radio Science Meeting Y1 - 2019 A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - A. J. Gerrard AB -

Recent advances in geospace remote sensing have shown that large-scale distributed networks of ground-based sensors pay large dividends by providing a big picture view of phenomena that were previously observed only by point-measurements. Notable examples include the improved understanding of traveling ionospheric disturbance (TID) sources based on observations from the high frequency (HF) Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radars and GNSS-based total electron content remote sensing networks. While these existing networks provide excellent insight into TID science, the system remains undersampled (especially at HF) and more observations are needed to advance understanding. Additionally, previous measurements have revealed that characteristics of medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) observed on the bottomside ionosphere using oblique HF sounding by SuperDARN differ from integrated ionospheric measurements of MSTIDs made using GNSS-TEC. These differences have yet to be accounted for, and additional observations could aid in understanding the propagation of MSTIDs from the bottom to the top of the ionosphere. In an effort to generate these additional measurements, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI, hamsci.org) is working with the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR, tapr.org), an engineering organization comprising of volunteer amateur radio operators and engineers, to develop a network of Personal Space Weather Stations that will provide scientific-grade observations of signals-of-opportunity across the HF bands from volunteer citizen observers. These measurements will play a key role in the characterization of ionospheric variability across the geographic regions in which these stations are deployed. We will describe concepts, key software patterns for radio science, and proposed timelines for the Personal Space Weather Station project. A particular focus will be assembling the proper metadata for science grade observations, and strategies for lightweight calibration of radio sensors. Initial project efforts concentrate on a wideband receiving station and backing software data distribution system.

JF - USNC–URSI National Radio Science Meeting PB - U.S. National Committee for URSI CY - Boulder, CO UR - https://nrsmboulder.org/ ER - TY - JOUR T1 - High Frequency Communications Response to Solar Activity in September 2017 as Observed by Amateur Radio Networks JF - Space Weather Y1 - 2019 A1 - Frissell, Nathaniel A. A1 - Vega, Joshua S. A1 - Markowitz, Evan A1 - Gerrard, Andrew J. A1 - Engelke, William D. A1 - Erickson, Philip J. A1 - Miller, Ethan S. A1 - Luetzelschwab, R. Carl A1 - Bortnik, Jacob KW - Amateur Radio KW - Geomagnetic Storm KW - Ham Radio KW - HF Radio Propagation KW - Radio Blackout KW - Solar Flare AB -

Abstract Numerous solar flares and coronal mass ejection (CME) induced interplanetary shocks associated with solar active region AR12673 caused disturbances to terrestrial high frequency (HF, 3--30 MHz) radio communications from 4-14 September 2017. Simultaneously, Hurricanes Irma and Jose caused significant damage to the Caribbean Islands and parts of Florida. The coincidental timing of both the space weather activity and hurricanes was unfortunate, as HF radio was needed for emergency communications. This paper presents the response of HF amateur radio propagation as observed by the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) and the Weak Signal Propagation Reporting Network (WSPRNet) to the space weather events of that period. Distributed data coverage from these dense sources provided a unique mix of global and regional coverage of ionospheric response and recovery that revealed several features of storm-time HF propagation dynamics. X-class flares on 6, 7, and 10 September caused acute radio blackouts during the day in the Caribbean with recovery times of tens of minutes to hours, based on the decay time of the flare. A severe geomagnetic storm withKpmax = 8 + and?SYM ? Hmin =  ? 146?nT occurring 7-10 September wiped out ionospheric communications first on 14 MHz and then on 7 MHz starting at~1200 UT 8 September. This storm, combined with affects from additional flare and geomagnetic activity, contributed to a significant suppression of effective HF propagation bands both globally and in the Caribbean for a period of 12 to 15 days.

UR - https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW002008 JO - Space Weather ER - TY - CONF T1 - High Frequency Communications Response to Solar Activity in September 2017 as Observed by Amateur Radio Networks T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2019 Y1 - 2019 A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - Joshua S. Vega A1 - Evan Markowitz A1 - Andrew J. Gerrard A1 - William D. Engelke A1 - Philip J. Erickson A1 - Ethan S. Miller A1 - R. Carl Luetzelschwab A1 - Jacob Bortnik AB -

Numerous solar flares and coronal mass ejection‐induced interplanetary shocks associated with solar active region AR12673 caused disturbances to terrestrial high‐frequency (HF, 3–30 MHz) radio communications from 4–14 September 2017. Simultaneously, Hurricanes Irma and Jose caused significant damage to the Caribbean Islands and parts of Florida. The coincidental timing of both the space weather activity and hurricanes was unfortunate, as HF radio was needed for emergency communications. This paper presents the response of HF amateur radio propagation as observed by the Reverse Beacon Network and the Weak Signal Propagation Reporting Network to the space weather events of that period. Distributed data coverage from these dense sources provided a unique mix of global and regional coverage of ionospheric response and recovery that revealed several features of storm time HF propagation dynamics. X‐class flares on 6, 7, and 10 September caused acute radio blackouts during the day in the Caribbean with recovery times of tens of minutes to hours, based on the decay time of the flare. A severe geomagnetic storm with Kpmax = 8+ and SYM‐Hmin = −146 nT occurring 7–10 September wiped out ionospheric communications first on 14 MHz and then on 7 MHz starting at ∼1200 UT 8 September. This storm, combined with affects from additional flare and geomagnetic activity, contributed to a significant suppression of effective HF propagation bands both globally and in the Caribbean for a period of 12 to 15 days.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2019 PB - HamSCI CY - Cleveland, OH ER - TY - CONF T1 - Sounding the Ionosphere with Signals of Opportunity in the High-Frequency (HF) Band T2 - HamSCI Workshop 2019 Y1 - 2019 A1 - Ethan S. Miller A1 - Gary S. Bust A1 - Gareth W. Perry A1 - Stephen R. Kaeppler A1 - Juha Vierinen A1 - Nathaniel A. Frissell A1 - A. A. Knuth A1 - Philip J. Erickson A1 - Romina Nikoukar A1 - Alexander T. Chartier A1 - P. Santos A1 - C. Brum A1 - J. T. Fentzke A1 - T. R. Hanley A1 - Andrew J. Gerrard AB -

The explosion of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) education- and consumer-grade hardware supporting software-defined radio (SDR) over the past two decades has revolutionized many aspects of radio science, bringing the cost and calibration of traditionally complex receiver hardware within the grasp of even advanced amateur experimenters. Transmission has now become the limiter of access in many cases, particularly through spectrum management and licensing considerations. Fortunately, several classes of signals endemic to the HF band lend themselves to processing for ionospheric characteristics: time and frequency standard broadcasters, surface-wave oceanographic radars, amateur radio transmissions, and ionospheric sounders.

This presentation is a tour of these signals of opportunity and techniques for collecting and processing them into ionospheric characteristics, with emphasis on distributed receivers collecting on a small number (four or fewer) of coherent channels. Receiving techniques will be discussed for near-vertical (“quasi-vertical”) incidence skywave (NVIS or QVI), long-distance oblique soundings, and transionospheric sounding. Soundings will be demonstrated from space-based, ground-based, and maritime platforms.

Binary, Doppler, delay, cone angle of arrival, and polarization observations will be exploited, depending on the signal type and capability of the collector. Each of these techniques conveys different, but not always “orthogonal,” information about the ionospheric skywave channel. The information content of each datum will be discussed with respect to the implications for inverting the local or regional ionosphere from the observations. More importantly than inverting the full ionosphere, some of these techniques are sensitive indicators of ionospheric irregularities, structures, and instabilities, that might otherwise be difficult to study due to limited geographic coverage with larger, more exquisite instrumentation.

JF - HamSCI Workshop 2019 PB - HamSCI CY - Cleveland, OH ER - TY - CONF T1 - High Frequency Communications Response to Solar Activity in September 2017 as Observed by Amateur Radio Networks T2 - Fall AGU Y1 - 2018 A1 - Frissell, Nathaniel A. A1 - Vega, Joshua S. A1 - Markowitz, Evan A1 - Gerrard, Andrew J. A1 - Engelke, William D. A1 - Erickson, Philip J. A1 - Miller, Ethan S. A1 - Luetzelschwab, R. Carl A1 - Bortnik, Jacob KW - Amateur Radio KW - Geomagnetic Storm KW - Ham Radio KW - HF Radio Propagation KW - Radio Blackout KW - Solar Flare AB -

Numerous solar flares and coronal mass ejection (CME) induced interplanetary shocks associated with solar active region AR12673 caused disturbances to terrestrial high frequency (HF, 3–30 MHz) radio communications from 4-14 September 2017. Simultaneously, Hurricanes Irma and Jose caused significant damage to the Caribbean Islands and parts of Florida. The coincidental timing of both the space weather activity and hurricanes was unfortunate, as HF radio was needed for emergency communications. This paper presents the response of HF amateur radio propagation as observed by the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) and the Weak Signal Propagation Reporting Network (WSPRNet) to the space weather events of that period. Distributed data coverage from these dense sources provided a unique mix of global and regional coverage of ionospheric response and recovery that revealed several features of storm-time HF propagation dynamics. X-class flares on 6, 7, and 10 September caused acute radio blackouts during the day in the Caribbean with recovery times of tens of minutes to hours, based on the decay time of the flare. A severe geomagnetic storm withKpmax = 8 + and SYM − Hmin = − 146 nT occurring 7-10 September wiped out ionospheric communications first on 14 MHz and then on 7 MHz starting at 1200 UT 8 September. This storm, combined with affects from additional flare and geomagnetic activity, contributed to a significant suppression of effective HF propagation bands both globally and in the Caribbean for a period of 12 to 15 days.

JF - Fall AGU PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington, DC UR - https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm18/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/419847 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Initial Results of HamSCI Ham Radio 21 August 2017 Eclipse Ionospheric Experiments T2 - American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting Y1 - 2018 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. R. Ackermann A1 - D. Bern A1 - F. Ceglia A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - R. Gerzoff A1 - P. Gladstone A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - J. D. Huba A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - S. E. Reyer A1 - S. W. Rose A1 - A. Shovkoplyas A1 - H. W. Silver A1 - P. Smith A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - M. L. West A1 - R. Williams AB -

On 21 August 2017, a total solar eclipse will cause the shadow of the moon to traverse the United States from Oregon to South Carolina in just over 90 minutes. The sudden absence of sunlight due to the eclipse, especially solar UV and x-rays, provides an impulse function to the upper atmosphere that modifies the neutral dynamics, plasma concentrations, and related properties. Despite more than 60 years of research, questions remain regarding eclipse-induced ionospheric impacts. Ham radio operators’ advanced technical skills and inherent interest in ionospheric science make the amateur radio community ideal for contributing to and and participating in large-scale ionospheric sounding experiments. We present initial results from three amateur radio experiments designed to study the 2017 total solar eclipse: the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP), the HF Wideband Recording Experiment, and the Eclipse Frequency Measurement Test (FMT). These experiments are coordinated by HamSCI, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, a citizen science organization that connects the amateur radio community to the professional space science research community for mutual benefit.

JF - American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting PB - American Meteorological Society CY - Austin, TX UR - https://ams.confex.com/ams/98Annual/webprogram/Paper337094.html ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Modeling Amateur Radio Soundings of the Ionospheric Response to the 2017 Great American Eclipse JF - Geophysical Research Letters Y1 - 2018 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - M. L. West A1 - J. D. Huba A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - R. B. Gerzoff A1 - W. Liles A1 - H. W. Silver AB -

On 21 August 2017, a total solar eclipse traversed the continental United States and caused large‐scale changes in ionospheric densities. These were detected as changes in medium and high frequency radio propagation by the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) citizen science experiment organized by the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (hamsci.org). This is the first eclipse‐ionospheric study to make use of measurements from a citizen‐operated, global‐scale HF propagation network and develop tools for comparison to a physics‐based model ionosphere. Eclipse effects were observed ±0.3 hr on 1.8 MHz, ±0.75 hr on 3.5 and 7 MHz, and ±1 hr on 14 MHz and are consistent with eclipse‐induced ionospheric densities. Observations were simulated using the PHaRLAP raytracing toolkit in conjunction with the eclipsed SAMI3 ionospheric model. Model results suggest 1.8, 3.5, and 7 MHz refracted at h ≥ 125 km altitude with elevation angles θ ≥ 22°, while 14 MHz signals refracted at h < 125 km with elevation angles θ < 10°.

VL - 45 UR - https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077324 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Modeling Amateur Radio Soundings of the Ionospheric Response to the 2017 Great American Eclipse T2 - Fall AGU Y1 - 2018 A1 - Frissell, N. A. A1 - Katz, J. D. A1 - Gunning, S. W. A1 - Vega, J. S. A1 - Gerrard, A. J. A1 - Earle, G. D. A1 - Moses, M. L. A1 - West, M. L. A1 - Huba, J. D. A1 - Erickson, P. J. A1 - Miller, E. S. A1 - Gerzoff, R. B. A1 - Liles, W. A1 - Silver, H. W. KW - Amateur Radio KW - Citizen Science KW - Ham Radio KW - HF propagation KW - ionosphere KW - solar eclipse AB -

On 21 August 2017, a total solar eclipse traversed the continental United States and caused large-scale changes in ionospheric densities. These were detected as changes in medium- and high-frequency radio propagation by the Solar Eclipse QSO Party citizen science experiment organized by the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (hamsci.org). This is the first eclipse-ionospheric study to make use of measurements from a citizen-operated, global-scale HF propagation network and develop tools for comparison to a physics-based model ionosphere. Eclipse effects were observed ±0.3 hr on 1.8 MHz, ±0.75 hr on 3.5 and 7 MHz, and ±1 hr on 14 MHz and are consistent with eclipse-induced ionospheric densities. Observations were simulated using the PHaRLAP raytracing toolkit in conjunction with the eclipsed SAMI3 ionospheric model. Model results suggest 1.8, 3.5, and 7 MHz refracted at h≥125 km altitude with elevation angles θ≥22°, while 14 MHz signals refracted at h < 125 km with elevation angles θ < 10°.

JF - Fall AGU PB - American Geophysical Union Meeting CY - Washington, DC UR - https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm18/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/418915 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Developing a Solar Eclipse Simulation for Greater Good T2 - ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference Y1 - 2017 A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - J. D. Huba AB -

This paper presents our methodology for simulating the upcoming total solar eclipse that will be taking place on August 21, 2017. By taking advantage of a high-performance distributed computing cluster as well as a number of third-party scientific computing libraries we were able to efficiently simulate a large number of HF amateur radio contacts before, during, and after the upcoming eclipse. The data generated from the simulations allows us to peek into how the amateur radio community and radio propagation as a whole will be affected in preparation for the actual eclipse.

JF - ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference CY - St. Louis, MO UR - https://www.tapr.org/pub_dcc.html ER - TY - CONF T1 - Fitting Ionospheric Models Using Real-Time HF Amateur Radio Observations T2 - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Y1 - 2017 A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - R. B. Gerzoff A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - F. Ceglia A1 - D. Pascoe A1 - N. Sinanis A1 - P. Smith A1 - R. Williams A1 - A. Shovkoplyas JF - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) CY - Keystone, CO ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse T2 - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. R. Ackermann A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - R. B. Gerzoff A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - M. Hirsch A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - S. R. Kaeppller A1 - R. W. McGwier A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - G. Perry A1 - S. E. Reyer A1 - A. Shovkoplyas A1 - H. W. Silver A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - RBN Team JF - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) CY - Keystone, CO ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse T2 - HamSCI-UK Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - W. Engelke A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - J. S. Vega JF - HamSCI-UK PB - HamSCI-UK CY - Milton Keynes, UK ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse T2 - 2017 Annual Meeting of the APS Mid-Atlantic Section Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - M. L. West A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - H. W. Silver JF - 2017 Annual Meeting of the APS Mid-Atlantic Section PB - American Physical Society CY - Newark, NJ ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse T2 - American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - M. L. West A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - R. Gerzoff A1 - H. Ward Silver JF - American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting PB - American Geophysical Union CY - New Orleans, LA ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (Experiment Description) T2 - ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - J. D. Huba A1 - M. Hirsch A1 - H. W. Silver A1 - S. E. Reyer A1 - J. R. Ackermann A1 - M. D. Suhar A1 - D. Bern AB -

On 21 August 2017, a total solar eclipse will cause the shadow of the moon to traverse the United States from Oregon to South Carolina in just over 90 minutes. The sudden absence of sunlight due to the eclipse, especially solar UV and x-rays, provides an impulse function to the upper atmosphere that modifies the neutral dynamics, plasma concentrations, and related properties. In spite of more than 60 years of research, open questions remain regarding eclipse-induced ionospheric impacts. Ham radio operators’ advanced technical skills and inherent interest in ionospheric science make the amateur radio community ideal for contributing to and and participating in large-scale ionospheric sounding experiments. This pa- per describes the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP), the HF Wideband Recording Experiment, and the Eclipse Frequency Measurement Test (FMT), three amateur radio experiments designed to study the 2017 total solar eclipse. These experi- ments are coordinated by HamSCI, the Ham radio Science Citizen Investigation, a citizen science organization that connects the amateur radio community to the professional space science research community for mutual benefit.

JF - ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference CY - St. Louis, MO UR - https://www.tapr.org/pub_dcc.html ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (First Results) T2 - ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - W. Engelke A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - J. S. Vega JF - ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference CY - St. Louis, MO UR - https://www.tapr.org/pub_dcc.html ER - TY - CONF T1 - HamSCI: The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (Banquet Presentation) T2 - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. R. Ackermann A1 - J. Dzekevich A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - P. J. Erickson A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - R. B. Gerzoff A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - M. Hirsch A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - S. R. Kaeppler A1 - R. W. McGwier A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - G. Perry A1 - S. E. Reyer A1 - A. Shovkoplyas A1 - H. W. Silver A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - RBN Team JF - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) CY - Keystone, CO ER - TY - CONF T1 - Ionospheric Simulations of the 2017 Solar Eclipse QSO Party T2 - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Y1 - 2017 A1 - N. A. Frissell A1 - J. S. Vega A1 - J. D. Katz A1 - M. L. Moses A1 - G. D. Earle A1 - S. W. Gunning A1 - A. J. Gerrard A1 - E. S. Miller A1 - M. L. West A1 - F. Ceglia A1 - D. Pascoe A1 - N. Sinanis A1 - P. Smith A1 - R. Williams A1 - A. Shovkoplyas A1 - H. W. Silver JF - NSF CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) CY - Keystone, CO ER -