English

Ionospheric correction of space radar data

Space Physics 2015-05-14 v1 Plasma Physics Physics and Society

Abstract

Radar is a critical tool for maintaining knowledge of the many ob-jects in low Earth orbit and thus for maintaining confidence that societies around the world are secure against a variety of space-based threats. It is therefore important to raise awareness that LEO objects are embedded in the envelope of relatively dense plasma that co-rotates with the Earth (ionosphere-plasmasphere system) and thus accurate tracking must cor-rect for the group delay and refraction caused by that system. This paper seeks to promote that awareness by reviewing those effects and high-lighting key issues: the need to customise correction to the altitude of the tracked object and prevailing space weather conditions, that ionospheric correction may be particularly important as an object approaches re-entry. The paper outlines research approaches that should lead to better techniques for ionospheric correction and shows how these might be pur-sued in the context of the EURIPOS initiative.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0909.1659,
  title  = {Ionospheric correction of space radar data},
  author = {Mike Hapgood},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0909.1659},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

Submitted to Acta Geophysica

R2 v1 2026-06-21T13:44:18.457Z