Maximum Entropy Regularization Method of Ionospheric Occultation

With the increasing of applications of Global Positioning System (GPS), the research on the factors affecting the radio signals is becoming more and more important. One of the most significant effects on ionosphere monitoring is the ionospheric radio occultation (IRO), and the IRO data is now serving as one of the most important monitoring sources for the ionospheric measurements. Meanwhile the inversion of the occultation data is a popular topic. The traditional Abel inversion process through compensated total electron content (TEC) is a linear inversion method, thus it would transfer the measurement errors directly to the inversion results. In order to improve the occultation results, we introduce in this paper two nonlinear methods, namely the regularization method and the maximum entropy regularization method. Through designed simulative experiments, we verify and compare these three methods, and conclude that the maximum entropy regularization method can reduce significantly the influence of measurement errors.     

电离层掩星反演的正则最大熵法

电离层掩星数据现已成为电离层观测数据的重要来源,对掩星数据的反演研究一直是掩星研究的热点.传统采用的改正TEC(1btal Electron Content)的Abel变换反演法为线性反演法,它会把测量误差带入反演结果中.为改善反演效果受测量误差的影响,引入两种非线性的反演方法一正则化和正则最大熵反演法.随后设计模拟试验,对3种方法进行验证、比较,得到正则最大熵反演法可以很好地减小测量误差的影响.     

GPS/LEO掩星技术中超折射效应的修正

在GPS掩星探测地球大气技术中，Abel积分变换要求大气折射指数n是折射半径a的单值函数，当大气折射率的垂直梯度达到小于一个极限值dN／dr≈-0．16N-unit m^-1上述单值性不成立，称其为超折射，此时Abel积分变换不再适用,如果还是在形式上应用经典的Abel变换，在反演结果中就会产生负大气折射率偏差．描述了低对流层中超折射现象的物理特性和数学表示；在广义Abel积分变换的基础上，讨论了超折射层内和超折射层下的大气剖面反演算法；选择了一个简单的采样间隔内等大气折射率垂直梯度假设，对英国高分辨率无线电探空观测资料进行模拟计算，验证了负超折射与大气折射率偏差的关系，并提出的广义Abel变换的合理性.     

火星电离层无线电掩星探测仿真研究

对中俄联合火星星-星电离层掩星技术体制进行了分析和介绍,采用三维射线追踪方法对电离层掩星事件的电波观测值进行了模拟计算,并利用模拟的掩星观测数据进行了电子密度廓线反演,结果说明仿真算法可靠.利用仿真的方法,分别对掩星电波相位观测误差和卫星轨道误差等带来的反演误差进行了个例计算和分析,结果得到:5%周的相位测量误差对白天电离层掩星探测结果的影响可以忽略,而夜间电子密度测量的绝对误差小于4×108 m-3;卫星轨道误差对掩星的主要影响是导致电离层高度抬升或下降.结果表明,中俄联合火星电离层掩星探测技术体制先进,可望获得高精度的电子密度廓线;其技术体制也可以用于月球电离层环境的探测.     

GPS掩星振幅反演中的天顶补偿项

推导了GPS无线电掩星振幅观测反演地球大气技术中Abel积分变换中的天顶补偿项 ,定性地说明了天顶补偿项对计算过程和反演剖面的影响。     

An Emulation Research on the Radio Occultation Exploration of Martian Ionosphere

The technical system of the Sino-Russian joint satellite-to-satellite Mars ionosphere occultation is analyzed and introduced. The analogue computation of the observed values of the radio waves of the ionosphere occultation event is carried out by adopting the three-dimensional ray tracking method and the electron density profile inversion is conducted by means of the simulated occultation observational data, with the result showing that the emulation algorithm is reliable. By taking advantage of the emulation method the case computation and analysis of the inversion errors caused by the observational error of the occultation radio wave phase and the satellite orbital error are respectively carried out, and it is obtained from the result that the effect of the phase measuring error of the 5% circle on the result of the daytime ionosphere occultation exploration may be neglected, while the absolute error of the night electron density measurement is less than 4 × 108 m^?3, and the main effect of the satellite orbital error on the occultation leads to the lifting or falling of the ionospheric height. The result shows that the technical system of the Sino-Russian joint Mars ionosphere occultation exploration is advanced. It can be expected that the high accuracy electron density profile is obtained and the technical system can be applied to the exploration of the lunar ionospheric environment.     

Electron content near the lunar surface using dual-frequency VLBI tracking data in a single lunar orbiter mission

In VLBI observations of Vstar, a subsatellite of the Japanese lunar mission SELENE, there were opportunities for lunar grazing occultation when Vstar was very close to the limb of the Moon. This kind of chance made it possible to probe the thin plasma layer above the Moon's surface as a meaningful by-product of VLBI,by using the radio occultation method with coherent radio waves from the S/X bands.The dual-frequency measurements were carried out at Earth-based VLBI stations. In the line-of-sight direction between the satellite and the ground-based tracking station where VLBI measurements were made, the effects of the terrestrial ionosphere, interplanetary plasma and the thin lunar ionosphere mixed together in the combined observables of dual-frequency Doppler shift and phase shift. To separate the variation of the ionospheric total electron content(TEC) near the surface of the Moon from the mixed signal, the influences of the terrestrial ionosphere and interplanetary plasma have been removed by using an extrapolation method based on a short-term trend. The lunar TEC is estimated from the dual-frequency observation for Vstar from UT 22:18to UT 22:20 on 2008 June 28 at several tracking stations. The TEC results obtained from VLBI sites are identical, however, they are not as remarkable as the result obtained at the Usuda deep space tracking station.     

Correcting the superrefraction effect in the GPS/LEO occultation technique

The Abel integral transformation in GPS/LEO occultation technique requires the atmospheric index of refraction n to be a single-valued function of the refractional radius a. This condition is broken when the vertical refractivity gradient is less than a critical value dN/dr∼-0.16 N-units m⁻¹, and it is called superrefraction. The Abel integral transformation is no longer valid under this condition, and, if the classical Abel transformation is still formally applied, then a negative refractivity bias occurs in results. The physical characteristics and mathematical expression of the superrefraction phenomenon in the lower troposphere are described. In the frame of a general Abel integral transformation, the inversion algorithm of the atmospheric profiles in and below the superrefraction layer is discussed. Under a simple assumption of the constant vertical gradient of refractivity in the sampling interval, the simulation calculation is carried out on UK High Resolution Radiosonde Data. The computational results have verified the relationship between the negative refractivity bias and the superrefraction phenomenon, as well as the validity of the general Abel transformation proposed.     

GPS/LEO掩星技术中Abel积分变换的奇点问题

在GPS／LEO无线电掩星反演地球大气技术中，Abel积分是反演地球大气折射指数的最常用的方法，Abel积分存在积分奇点的问题，根据这一问题讨论了解决奇异积分的几种不同的积分方法，并提出了一种直接求Abel积分变换的解析解．通过数值积分模拟计算，对比了各种不同积分方法引入了的计算误差。     

Inversions of satellite to satellite electron content: Simulation studies with NeUoG-plas

The signals of Global Navigation Satellites have found a large number of uses in atmospheric and ionospheric research. Reception of the signals from a satellite in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) leads regularly to occultation of the signals by the surface of the Earth. Before an occultation the signals traverse the ionosphere with rays with decreasing height of their perigees. Satellite electron content observed prior to ‘setting’ occultations or after `rising' occultations can be used as input data for inversion. The inversion procedure gives horizontally averaged height profiles of electron density.Assessment studies are needed to find out under which conditions the profiles from inversions are representative for ‘true’ electron density profiles above the Earth occultation point.A great number of such studies have been carried out using the ionosphere/plasmasphere model NeUOG-plas for forward and backward modelling. Different transmitter-receiver scenarios have been investigated.We describe the assessment procedure and report on results showing the most interesting cases and statistics.     

电离层TEC对小耀斑的响应

利用国际GPS观测网(IGS)提供的多个台站的观测数据,分析了M级别以下的小、暗太阳耀斑对向阳面电离层TEC的影响．利用传统分析方法的结果表明,从单条视线(LOS)观测数据得到的电离层TEC及其时间变化率曲线来看,由于它们的波动水平和正常情况下的背景电离层变化相当,使此类小耀斑的信息完全淹没在背景噪声中,不能够显示和分辨出耀斑的发生．利用相干求和的数据处理方法,选用向阳面18个GPS台站的观测数据研究了一次C级SF耀斑引起的电离层TEC增加,结果发现,这种方法能有效地消除背景电离层变化噪声,电离层对耀斑的响应非常清楚和明显,这通常只能在X级别的大耀斑中看到．和GOES卫星X射线数据相比,电离层TEC变化的时间特征和耀斑爆发的开始、最大和结束时间均有很好的符合,其最大平均TEC增量在0．1TECU以下,和X级别的大耀斑相比有一个或多个量级上的差别．     

One-dimensional variational retrieval of refractivity profiles by GPS occultation

In recent years, the technique of Global Positioning System/Low Earth Orbit (GPS/LEO) radio occultation has opened up a new route for exploring the earth atmosphere. With this technique, the vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, water vapor of the earth atmosphere can be retrieved from GPS/LEO occultation data, thus making the latter a potentially valuable data resource for meteorological and atmospheric sciences. The technique may effectively improve the quality of the meteorological profiles, and so improve the current numerical weather forecasting model. In the one-dimensional variational (1DVAR) assimilation retrieval technique in current use, the profiles of atmospheric water vapor and temperature, as well as the sea level pressure are retrieved by assimilating the atmospheric refractivity or bending angle profile from GPS/LEO occultation data. In the system independently developed at Shanghai Observatory, the 1DVAR assimilation of CPS occultation data is accomplished by the Levenberg-Marquardt method with the analytical data from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) as the background field, the refractivity profile obtained from CHAMP occultation data as the observational quantity. The result was checked with sounding balloon data near the occultation points.     

On the reduction of occultation light curves

In the first two sections of this paper, the two basic methods of reducing occultation light curves—curve fitting and inversion—are reviewed and compared. It is shown that the curve fitting methods have severe problems of nonuniqueness. In addition, in the case of occultation curves dominated by spikes, it is not clear that such solutions are meaningful. The inversion method does not suffer from these drawbacks. Methods of deriving temperature profiles from refractivity profiles are dealt with in the third section. It is shown that, although the temperature profiles are sensitive to small errors in the refractivity profile, accurate temperatures can be obtained, particularly at the deeper levels of the atmosphere. The final section contains a brief discussion of the ambiguities that arise when the occultation curve straddles the turbopause.     

对称模式下的CHAMP弯曲角掩星数据同化

简单介绍了无线电掩星技术探测行星大气的发展史,列举了该技术中存在的若干问题。从 Eyre提出的统计学的最优估计反演方法,比较了用相位、弯曲角和折射率作为同化因子时出现的问题和各自的优缺点。对弯曲角同化因子,以欧洲中期天气预报中心(ECMWF)资料为背景场,运用一维变分技术,进行CHAMP掩星观测资料变分同化反演,从而获得水汽和温度剖面。将反演获得的气象剖面与非同化的剖面作比较,并且采用相应的探空气球资料作为验证,可以看出变分同化技术比传统的标准反演技术反演误差小。证实掩星数据资料的一维变分同化技术可以改进目前的数值天气预报模式。     

Correction of the ionospheric distortion on the MARSIS surface sounding echoes

Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) on the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft has made numerous measurements of the Martian surface and subsurface. However, all of these measurements are distorted by the ionosphere and must be compensated before any analysis. We have developed a technique to compensate for the ionospheric distortions. This technique provides a powerful tool to derive the total electron content (TEC) and other higher-order terms of the limited expansion of the plasma dispersion function that are related to overall shape of the electron column profile. The derived parameters are fitted by using a Chapman model to derive ionospheric parameters like n₀, electron density primary peak (maximum for solar zenith angle (SZA) equal 0), and the neutral height scale H.

Our estimated ionospheric parameters are in good agreement with Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) radio-occultation data. However, since MARSIS does not have the observation geometry limitations of the radio occultation measurements, our derived parameters extend over a large range of SZA for each MEX orbit.

The first results from our technique have been discussed by Safaeinili et al. [2007, Estimation of the total electron content of the Martian ionosphere using radar sounder surface echoes. Geophys. Res. Lett. 34, L23204, doi:10.1029/2007GL032154].     

Combining asteroid models derived by lightcurve inversion with asteroidal occultation silhouettes

Asteroid sizes can be directly measured by observing occultations of stars by asteroids. When there are enough observations across the path of the shadow, the asteroid’s projected silhouette can be reconstructed. Asteroid shape models derived from photometry by the lightcurve inversion method enable us to predict the orientation of an asteroid for the time of occultation. By scaling the shape model to fit the occultation chords, we can determine the asteroid size with a relative accuracy of typically ∼10%. We combine shape and spin state models of 44 asteroids (14 of them are new or updated models) with the available occultation data to derive asteroid effective diameters. In many cases, occultations allow us to reject one of two possible pole solutions that were derived from photometry. We show that by combining results obtained from lightcurve inversion with occultation timings, we can obtain unique physical models of asteroids.     

GPS掩星折射率剖面一维变分同化

近年来,GPS／LEO(全球定位系统／低地球轨道)卫星无线电掩星技术给出了地球大气探测的新途径．从LEO卫星观测到的掩星数据可以反演的地球大气的气压、水汽、温度等剖面;它们对气象和大气科学研究,是具有潜在价值的数据资源．掩星数据资料的同化技术可以有效地改进这些气象参数的剖面,从而改进目前的数值天气预报模式．在当前采用的一维变分同化反演技术中,可以用掩星观测资料的大气折射率或弯曲角剖面进行同化,来反演大气水汽和温度剖面以及海平面压强．作为独立自主开发的GPD／LEO掩星技术系统的一部分,以欧洲中尺度天气预报分析(ECMWF)资料为背景场,CHAMP 掩星观测得到的折射率剖面为观测值,采用Levenberg—Marquardt方法实行GPS掩星资料一维变分同化．在讨论中,用掩星观测点附近相应的探空气球资料来检验CHAMP掩星资料变分同化的结果．     

Improvements of One-dimensional Variational Assimilation Algorithm Based on Occultation Technique

Utilizing the occultation data observed by LEO (low earth orbit) satellites, we can invert the profiles of air pressure, water vapor, temperature of terrestrial atmosphere and so on, and they are the valuable data resources for studying the meteorology and atmospheric sciences. The assimilation techniques with the occultation data can effectively improve these profiles of meteorological parameters, thus they can improve the accuracy of current numerical weather forecasting. The greatest difficulty is the huge amount of calculation to enter into the meteorological operational processes for applying the parameter profiles observed by occultation with the method of variational assimilation. With the improvements of the function of one-dimensional variational assimilation and the new design for iterative process, the defects of repeated calculation of the large dimension matrix can be avoided, thereby improving the computational efficiency of variational assimilation. In the discussion of applicability, it is used as the true value of the vectors of the background field plus one white Gaussian noise to test the variational assimilation results on the occultation data of satellite CHAMP.     

Analysis of spikes in occultation curves: A critique of Brinkmann's method

Brinkmann's method of deriving the composition of a planetary atmosphere from the timing of occultation curve spikes is discussed in detail. Contrary to the statement made in Brinkmann's paper, it is shown that not only must the spikes be timed, but the intensity of the background occultation curve must be determined at the points at which the spikes occur. The fact that the method does depend on intensity measurements introduces significant uncertainties in practice, so that the method is not as powerful as previously supposed.     

Statistical analysis of the results of champ occultation data processing at Shanghai astronomical observatory

With the development of the CPS (Global Positioning System) it has become possible to retrieve accurate profiles of atmospheric temperature, pressure and moisture from CPS occultation data. Using the inversion module developed in Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, (SHAG), we obtained atmospheric profiles from more than 2700 CHAMP occultation events observed in the period 2002 Aug. 1–17. The retrieved profiles are compared with the data of the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and their errors are analyzed. An optimal method of statistical analysis is proposed and applied. The statistical results show that GPS occultation data may contribute valuably to numerical weather forecast and long-term monitoring of the earth's climate.