Results of radio sounding of the south polar auroral oval performed with the GNSS signals of a sledge-track train around the Russian Antarctic station "Vostok"

Abstract

Under the program of the 60th Russian Antarctic expedition of the 2014-2015s, during the sledge-tracked crossing of Antarctica to "Vostok" station 8.01.2015-19.01.2015, an experiment was conducted to receive signals from navigation services of satellite communication channels of GLONASS/GPS systems (GNSS). The technology of radio sounding and the criteria for diagnostics of the auroral oval in the total electron content of ionosphere (TEC) are discussed. Radio sounding of the ionosphere reveals traces of auroral oval in the latitudinal distribution of ionospheric delay of GLONASS/GPS signals. Examples of manifestation of the auroral oval are given. The transition route is calculated. The obtained results are compared to the results of SIMP2 modeling of the auroral oval and to data from the official internet page of the experiment. The necessity of creating of a TEC-model of the auroral oval is shown.

Keywords

• ionosphere
• glonass
• gps
• positioning
• ionospheric delay
• electron content
• receiver
• auroral oval
• technology
• model