Faraday Rotation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Signals as a Method of Ionospheric Characterization

TitleFaraday Rotation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Signals as a Method of Ionospheric Characterization
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsCushley, AC, Kabin, K, Noël, J-M
JournalRadio Sci.
Volume52
Issue10
Pagination1293 - 1300
Date Published2017
ISBN Number1944-799X
Keywords2443 Midlatitude ionosphere, 2447 Modeling and forecasting, 2467 Plasma temperature and density, 2494 Instruments and techniques, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcst (ADS-B), electron density, Faraday rotation, ionosphere, total electron content (TEC)
Abstract

Radio waves propagating through plasma in the Earth's ambient magnetic field experience Faraday rotation; the plane of the electric field of a linearly polarized wave changes as a function of the distance travelled through a plasma. Linearly polarized radio waves at 1090 MHz frequency are emitted by Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) devices that are installed on most commercial aircraft. These radio waves can be detected by satellites in low Earth orbits, and the change of the polarization angle caused by propagation through the terrestrial ionosphere can be measured. In this manuscript we discuss how these measurements can be used to characterize the ionospheric conditions. In the present study, we compute the amount of Faraday rotation from a prescribed total electron content value and two of the profile parameters of the NeQuick ionospheric model.

URLhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2017RS006319
DOI10.1002/2017RS006319
Short TitleRadio Science
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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