IRNSS/NavIC and GPS: a single- and dual-system L5 analysis

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has recently (May 2016) become fully operational. In this contribution, for the fully operational IRNSS as a stand-alone system and also in combination with GPS, we provide a first assessment of L5 integer ambiguity resolution and positioning performance. While our empirical analyses are based on the data collected by two JAVAD receivers at Curtin University, Perth, Australia, our formal analyses are carried out for various onshore locations within the IRNSS service area. We study the noise characteristics (carrier-to-noise density, measurement precision, time correlation), the integer ambiguity resolution performance (success rates and ambiguity dilution of precision), and the positioning performance (ambiguity float and ambiguity fixed). The results show that our empirical outcomes are consistent with their formal counterparts and that the GPS L5-data have a lower noise level than that of IRNSS L5-data, particularly in case of the code data. The underlying model in our assessments varies from stand-alone IRNSS (L5) to IRNSS \(+\) GPS (L5), from unconstrained to height-constrained and from kinematic to static. Significant improvements in ambiguity resolution and positioning performance are achievable upon integrating L5-data of IRNSS with GPS.     

Micro-scale modeling of saturated sandy soil behavior subjected to cyclic loading

Liquefaction induced damage to the built environment is one of the major causes of damage in an earthquake. Since Niigata earthquake in 1964, it has been popularly recognized that the liquefaction induced ground failures caused severe damage in various forms such as sand boiling, ground settlement, lateral spreading, landslide, etc. Since then, understanding the mechanism of liquefaction phenomena became very important to take measures against the liquefaction induced ground failures. To understand the mechanism of liquefaction, it is important to consider the soil as an assemblage of particles. A continuum approach may fail to explain some of the phenomena associated with liquefaction. Discrete approach, such as distinct/discrete element method (DEM), is an effective method that can simulate the mechanism of liquefaction and associated phenomena well at the microscopic level.     

Response to the Reply by Muraleedharan

Nadarajah [Nadarajah, S., 2008. Letter to the Editor. Coastal Engineering 55, 189–190] pointed out several errors in the paper by Muraleedharan et al. [Muraleedharan, G., Rao, A. D., Kurup, P. G., Unnikrishnan Nair, N., Sinha, M., in press. Modified Weibull distribution for maximum and significant wave height simulation and prediction. Coastal Engineering] which suggested a modified Weibull distribution for maximum and significant wave height simulation and prediction. In response to Nadarajah's [Nadarajah, S., 2008. Letter to the Editor. Coastal Engineering 55, 189–190] comments, Muraleedharan [Muraleedharan, G., 2008. Reply to Saralees Nadarajah. Coastal Engineering 55, 191–193] argued that there were no errors in the original paper by Muraleedharan et al. [Muraleedharan, G., Rao, A. D., Kurup, P. G., Unnikrishnan Nair, N., Sinha, M., in press. Modified Weibull distribution for maximum and significant wave height simulation and prediction. Coastal Engineering]. Here, it is pointed out that the response by Muraleedharan [Muraleedharan, G., 2008. Reply to Saralees Nadarajah. Coastal Engineering 55, 191–193] is at least as incorrect as Muraleedharan et al. [Muraleedharan, G., Rao, A. D., Kurup, P. G., Unnikrishnan Nair, N., Sinha, M., in press. Modified Weibull distribution for maximum and significant wave height simulation and prediction. Coastal Engineering].     

GLONASS CDMA L3 ambiguity resolution and positioning

A first assessment of GLONASS CDMA L3 ambiguity resolution and positioning performance is provided. Our analyses are based on GLONASS L3 data from the satellite pair SVNs 755-801, received by two JAVAD receivers at Curtin University, Perth, Australia. In our analyses, four different versions of the two-satellite model are applied: the geometry-free model, the geometry-based model , the height-constrained geometry-based model, and the geometry-fixed model. We study the noise characteristics (carrier-to-noise density, measurement precision), the integer ambiguity resolution performance (success rates and distribution of the ambiguity residuals), and the positioning performance (ambiguity float and ambiguity fixed). The results show that our empirical outcomes are consistent with their formal counterparts and that the GLONASS data have a lower noise level than that of GPS, particularly in case of the code data. This difference is not only seen in the noise levels but also in their onward propagation to the ambiguity time series and ambiguity residuals distribution.     

Assessing the IRNSS L5-signal in combination with GPS,Galileo, and QZSS L5/E5a-signals for positioning and navigation

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), which is being developed for positioning services in and around India, is the latest addition to the global family of satellite-based navigation systems. As IRNSS only shares the L5-frequency with GPS, the European Galileo, and the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), it has at least at present a limited interoperability with the existing systems. Noting that the L5-frequency capability is under development even for GPS, this contribution assesses the interoperability of the IRNSS L5-signal with the GPS, Galileo, and QZSS L5/E5a-signals for positioning and navigation using real data collected in Perth, Australia. First, the noise characteristic of the IRNSS L5-signal and its comparison with that of the GPS, Galileo, and QZSS L1/E1- and L5/E5a-signals is presented. Then, the L5-observables of combined systems (formed from IRNSS, GPS, Galileo, and QZSS) are assessed for real-time kinematic positioning using the standard LAMBDA method and for instantaneous attitude determination using the constrained LAMBDA method. The results show that the IRNSS L5-signal has comparable noise characteristics as that of the other L5/E5a-signals. For single-frequency carrier phase-based positioning and navigation, the results show better ambiguity resolution performance of L5/E5a-only processing than that of L1/E1-only processing.     

A simplified multi-layered flow model for use in landfill design

A simplified analytical flow model, which considers multi-layered soil systems, is developed herein for estimating the steady-state velocity field and the head distribution beneath landfills and in multiple aquitard-aquifer systems. The landfills either can be engineered with a multi-liner and -drainage layer system or can be without any such engineered layers. The application of the method is illustrated with respect to the design of two hypothetical landfills by considering several design options. The effect of landfill size and the potential “shadow effect” is also examined.     

The Exact Distribution of the Multilook Magnitude

Gierull provides a statistical analysis of multilook synthetic aperture radar interferograms. Various expressions for the probability density function, cumulative distribution function, and the moments of associated statistics are derived. It appears, however, that most of these expressions are based on some approximation. In this letter, the corresponding expressions are derived in their exact form, including some elementary representations for certain expressions given by Gierull. A numerical comparison of the exact and approximate expressions is provided     

IRNSS/NavIC Single-Point Positioning: A Service Area Precision Analysis

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has recently (as of May 2016) become operational. The system has been developed with the objective of offering positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) to users in its two service areas, covering the Indian landmass and the Indian Ocean, respectively. It is the goal of this contribution to provide further insight into the full-constellation L5 pseudorange single-point positioning (SPP) capabilities of the system. A detailed dilution of precision (DOP) analysis of its two service areas, including the identification, in location and time, of poor receiver-satellite geometries is provided. It is hereby demonstrated how the impact of some of these poor receiver-satellite geometries can be mitigated by means of height-constraining. An overview and analysis of the SPP precision is also provided including easy-to-use representative day-averaged values for a grid of locations covering the two service areas.