MRI: Acquisition of Multi-Constellation Multi-Frequency Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Data Collection Arrays for Low Latitude Ionospheric Effects Studies

美国全球定位系统（GPS）的巨大效用导致了我们的社会？中国对精确定位和授时服务的依赖日益增加，以及中国、俄罗斯和欧盟等世界经济大国出现了多个GNSS星座。到2023年，将有160多颗导航卫星从中地球轨道（MEO）发射400多个信号。这些跨电离层无线电信号具有明确的开放信号结构和分布式全球覆盖范围，将为对我们的空间环境进行被动传感和科学研究提供前所未有的机会。然而，在有效和高效地利用全球导航卫星系统信号和系统来准确表征大气特性方面存在着巨大的挑战。该合同的目的是购买六套多星座、多波段全球导航卫星系统宽带数据收集系统，用于电离层现象被动遥感。这些设备将部署在希卡马卡电离层无线电观测台和阿雷西博观测台，与现有的全球导航卫星系统装置组成间隔接收器阵列，以支持五个领域的研究活动：（1）赤道电离层不规则性的形成和演变机制以及等离子体动力学研究;（2）高功率无线电波对电离层的修改效应诊断;（3）电离层（3）高分辨率电离层总电子含量和总电子含量梯度测绘;（4）电离层对无线电波传播的影响;（5）开发先进的全球导航卫星系统接收器算法，以便在具有物理和电磁挑战性的环境中确保导航。该项目将有助于增进对空间环境和电离层过程的了解，并有助于开发下一代卫星导航技术。该仪器还将在加强大学的本科生和研究生教育方面发挥重要作用，以电离层研究和全球导航卫星系统工程方案，加强大学和机构之间的合作关系，并支持正在进行的外联工作。该设备收集的数据将用于高年级本科生和研究生课程的全球导航卫星系统信号处理和大气科学类项目、高级顶点项目，并用于支持研究生论文和博士后研究。处理后的测量结果将在网上公布，以提高公众对大气现象和卫星导航技术进步的认识。

The great utility of the US Global Positioning System (GPS) has led to our society?s increased dependency on precise positioning and timing services and the emergence of multiple constellations of GNSS from world economic powers such as China, Russia, and the European Union. By 2023, there will be more than 160 navigation satellites beaming over 400 signals from their medium Earth orbits (MEO). With their well-defined open signal structures and distributed global coverage, these trans-ionosphere radio signals will offer unprecedented opportunities for passive sensing and scientific study of our space environment. There are, however, enormous challenges to effectively and efficiently utilize GNSS signals and systems to accurately characterize atmospheric properties. The objective of this award is to acquire six units of multi-constellation, multi-band global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) wideband data collection systems for passive remote sensing of ionospheric phenomena. The equipment will be deployed at the Jicamarca Ionospheric Radio Observatory (JIRO) and the Arecibo Observatory (AO) to form spaced receiver arrays with existing GNSS setups to support research activities in five areas: (1) equatorial ionospheric irregularity formation and evolution mechanisms and plasma dynamics studies; (2) diagnostics of high power radio wave modification effects on ionosphere; (3) high resolution ionospheric total electron content (TEC) and TEC gradients mapping; (4) ionospheric effects on radio wave propagation; (5) development of advanced GNSS receiver algorithms for assured navigation in physically and electromagnetically challenging environments. This project will help to advance understanding of the space environment and ionosphere processes and aid the development of the next generation of satellite navigation technology. The instrument will also play an important role in enhancing undergraduate and graduate education at universities with programs in ionospheric research and GNSS engineering, strengthen collaborative relationships among universities and institutions, and support on-going outreach efforts. Data collected by the equipment will be used in GNSS signal processing and atmospheric science class projects for upper-level undergraduate and graduate level courses, in senior capstone projects, and to support graduate thesis and post-doctoral research. Processed measurements will be published online to increase public awareness of atmospheric phenomena and the advancements taking place in satellite navigation technologies.