Research prospects of satellite to satellite electron content = Perspectivas de estudio del contenido de electrones de satélite a satélite

• Autores: G. Hochegger, R. Leintinger
• Localización: Física de la tierra, ISSN 0214-4557, Nº 12, 2000 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Tendencias actuales en la investigación de Ionosfera), págs. 295-317
• Idioma: español
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• Resumen

  • The experimental set-up we deal with is reception onboard satellites in Low Earth Orbits (LEOs) of radio signals transmitted from satellites. Plasma propagation effects allow to derive the satellite to satellite electron content. The research prospects of this quantity can be divided into two branches: investigation of the ionosphere by making use of the occultation situation and investigation of the plasmasphere. We concentrate on the occultation branch and discuss evaluation possibilities and their prospects for the future. Classical inversion of the satellite to satellite electron content which is observed when the perigee of the radio link (ray) sinks from the orbital height of the receiver satellite to the ground or when it rises from ground occultation gives horizontally averaged height profiles of electron density. Assessment studies have been carried out to demonstrate the usefulness and the shortcomings of inversion results. Additional data or information about horizontal gradients of the electron density in the ionosphere offers several possibilities to improve the results. We discuss «Model Assisted Inversion» and Tomographic Reconstruction»