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A Unique Observation of the Polarization State of a Single Mode Radio Wave Traversing Through the Ionosphere

Kuldeep Pandey, ISAS, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
E. Ceren Kalafatoglu Eyiguler, ISAS, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Robert G. Gillies, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Donald W. Danskin, ISAS, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Andrew W. Yau, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Glenn C. Hussey, ISAS, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
First Author's Affiliation
ISAS, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Abstract text:

The polarization state of transionospheric radio waves can be determined using the cross-dipole antennas of the Radio Receiver Instrument (RRI) on the e-POP/CASSIOPE/Swarm-E satellite. Experiments have been conducted between the RRI and ground radars. In the plasma environment of the terrestrial ionosphere, high frequency (HF) radio waves propagate via both magnetoionic modes, the O- and X-modes, combined. The experiments have shown the high frequency (HF) radio waves to propagate via both magnetoionic modes, the O- and X-modes, combined. For a special RRI observation and an HF transmitter located in Ottawa, Canada on the 12 May 2017, only one magnetoionic propagation mode reached the satellite. The observed polarization state had a stable orientation angle, thus indicating no Faraday rotation, but the ellipticity angle uniformly varied from -19° (left elliptical) to linear (0°) and finally 30° (right elliptical) within a latitude span of 15°. Supported by magnetoionic ray trace modeling and ground-based ionogram observations for the ionospheric state, only O-mode radio waves reached the satellite for the entire pass, whereas X-mode waves were refracted towards the ground. This experiment presented a special opportunity to examine an O-mode only polarization state for transionospheric propagating radio waves.

Non-Student
Poster category
ITIT - Instruments or Techniques for Ionospheric or Thermospheric Observation