| Name: | Sarvesh Mangla |
| Affiliation: | National Centre for Radio Astrophysics |
| Conference ID : | ASI2024_731 |
| Title : | Exploring the Ionosphere Above the uGMRT using GNSS |
| Authors : | Sarvesh Mangla, Divya Oberoi, Navnath Shinde
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| Authors Affiliation: | 1 Sarvesh Mangla, Divya Oberoi, Navnath Shinde Affiliation (National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune-411007, India) |
| Mode of Presentation: | Poster |
| Abstract Category : | Facilities, Technologies and Data science |
| Abstract : | Ionospheric effects frequently pose significant challenges for radio telescopes and limit the imaging quality achieved by sensitive low radio frequency (< 1 GHz) radio interfereters. Additionally, in linearly polarization studies, ionospheric Faraday rotation (FR) introduces a potentially significant contamination in the measured polarization signals. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements have long been used in characterizing the ionosphere on a global scale. We explore their application in addressing these ionospheric challenges for the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT). We use the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) empirical model, which has evolved and improved since the 1960s and a vital resource for ionospheric characterization, as a fiducial reference. We note that the IRI model is based primarily on a wealth of measurements from mid-latitude locations. The uGMRT, on the other hand, is situated in a low-latitude region and also close to the equatorial ionospheric anomaly. It is hence useful to build a investigate and quantify the ability of the IRI model to describe the ionoshere at the uGMRT.
The study aims to use the GNSS-derived TEC data to build a quantiative description of the ionosphere above the uGMRT; quantify any systematic differences between data derived from IRI model and GNSS datasets, if present. Furthermore, we seek to estimate the range of ionospheric FR contamination by employing these two datasets. The GNSS data used here come from two receivers, one deployed at the uGMRT and the other about 80 km away at NCRA. This study marks the first step in using GNSS TEC measurements from the uGMRT for understanding the ionosphere and eventually contributing to improving its calibration and imaging performance. |
