• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.18-24
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• 2007

The high ionospheric spatial gradient during ionospheric storm is the most concern when applying GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System) augmentation systems for aircraft precision approach. Since the ionospheric gradient level depends on geographical location as well as the storm, understanding the ionospheric gradient statistics over a specific regional area is necessary for operating the augmentation systems. This paper compares three ionosphere gradient computation methods, direct differentiation between two receivers' ionospheric delay signal for a common satellite, derivation from a grid ionosphere map, and derivation from a plate ionosphere map. The plate map method provides a good indication on the gradient variation behavior over a regional area with limited number of GNSS receivers. The residual analysis for the ionosphere storm detection is discussed as well.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.361-365
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• 2006

High ionospheric spatial gradient during ionospheric storm is most concern for the landing approach with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) augmentation systems. In case of the GBAS (Ground-Based Augmentation System), the ionospheric storm causes sudden increase of the ionospheric delay difference between a ground facility and a user (aircraft), and the aircraft position error increases significantly. Since the ionosphere behavior and the storm effect depend on geographic location, understanding the ionospheric storm behavior at specific regional area is crucial for the GNSS augmentation system development and implementation. Korea Aerospace Research Institute and collaborating universities have been developing an integrity monitoring test bed for GBAS research and for future regional augmentation system development. By using the dense GPS (Global Positioning System) networks in Korea, a regional ionosphere map is constructed for finding detailed aspect of the ionosphere variation. Preliminary analysis on the ionospheric gradient variation during a recent storm period is performed and the results are discussed.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.898-904
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• 2006

Ionospheric storms, caused by the interaction between Solar and geomagnetic activities, may degrade the differential GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite Systems) performance significantly, and the importance of the ionospheric storm research is growing for the GBAS(Ground-Based Augmentation System) and SBAS(Satellite-Based Augmentation System) development. In order to support Korean GNSS augmentation system development, a software tool for analyzing the regional ionosphere is being developed and its preliminary results are discussed. After brief description of the ionosphere and ionospheric storm, the research topics on the GBAS applications are discussed. The need for ionospheric spatial gradient analysis is described and some results on the ionospheric spatial gradient during recent storm periods are discussed.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 2018

For ionospheric correction of low earth orbiter (LEO) satellites using single frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, ionospheric scale factor should be applied to the ground-based ionosphere model. The ionospheric scale factor can be calculated by using a NeQuick model, which provides a three-dimensional ionospheric distribution. In this study, the ionospheric scale factor is calculated by using NeQuick G model during 2015, and it is compared with the scale factor computed from the combination of LEO satellite measurements and international GNSS service (IGS) global ionosphere map (GIM). The accuracy of the ionospheric delay calculated by the NeQuick G model and IGS GIM with NeQuick G scale factor is analyzed. In addition, ionospheric delay errors calculated by the NeQuick G model and IGS GIM with the NeQuick G scale factor are compared. The ionospheric delay error variations along to latitude and solar activity are also analyzed. The mean ionospheric scale factor from the NeQuick G model is 0.269 in 2015. The ionospheric delay error of IGS GIM with NeQuick G scale factor is 23.7% less than that of NeQuick G model.

• Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.125-133
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• 2017

Time comparison is necessary for the verification and synchronization of the clock. Two-way satellite time and frequency (TWSTFT) is a method for time comparison over long distances. This method includes errors such as atmospheric effects, satellite motion, and environmental conditions. Ionospheric delay is one of the significant time comparison error in case of the carrier-phase TWSTFT (TWCP). Global Ionosphere Map (GIM) from Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) is used to compare with Bernese. Thin shell model of the ionosphere is used for the calculation of the Ionosphere Pierce Point (IPP) between stations and a GEO satellite. Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) and Koganei (KGNI) stations are used, and the analysis is conducted at 29 January 2017. Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) which is generated by Bernese at the latitude and longitude of the receiver by processing a Receiver Independent Exchange (RINEX) observation file that is generated from the receiver has demonstrated adequacy by showing similar variation trends with the CODE GIM. Bernese also has showed the capability to produce high resolution IONosphere map EXchange (IONEX) data compared to the CODE GIM. At each station IPP, VTEC difference in two stations showed absolute maximum 3.3 and 2.3 Total Electron Content Unit (TECU) in Bernese and GIM, respectively. The ionospheric delay of the TWCP has showed maximum 5.69 and 2.54 ps from Bernese and CODE GIM, respectively. Bernese could correct up to 6.29 ps in ionospheric delay rather than using CODE GIM. The peak-to-peak value of the ionospheric delay for TWCP in Bernese is about 10 ps, and this has to be eliminated to get high precision TWCP results. The $10^{-16}$ level uncertainty of atomic clock corresponds to 10 ps for 1 day averaging time, so time synchronization performance needs less than 10 ps. Current time synchronization of a satellite and ground station is about 2 ns level, but the smaller required performance, like less than 1 ns, the better. In this perspective, since the ionospheric delay could exceed over 100 ps in a long baseline different from this short baseline case, the elimination of the ionospheric delay is thought to be important for more high precision time synchronization of a satellite and ground station. This paper showed detailed method how to eliminate ionospheric delay for TWCP, and a specific case is applied by using this technique. Anyone could apply this method to establish high precision TWCP capability, and it is possible to use other software such as GIPSYOASIS and GPSTk. This TWCP could be applied in the high precision atomic clocks and used in the ground stations of the future domestic satellite navigation system.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.64-72
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• 2016

The coverage area of a GNSS regional ionospheric delay model is mainly determined by the distribution of GNSS ground monitoring stations. Extrapolation of the ionospheric model data can extend the coverage area. An extrapolation algorithm, which combines observed ionospheric delay with the environmental parameters, is proposed. Neural network and least square regression algorithms are developed to utilize the combined input data. The bi-harmonic spline method is also tested for comparison. The IGS ionosphere map data is used to simulate the delays and to compute the extrapolation error statistics. The neural network method outperforms the other methods and demonstrates a high extrapolation accuracy. In order to determine the directional characteristics, the estimation error is classified into four direction components. The South extrapolation area yields the largest estimation error followed by North area, which yields the second-largest error.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.74-81
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• 2014

The coverage area of GNSS regional ionospheric correction model is mainly determined by the disribution of GNSS ground monitoring stations. Outside the coverage area, GNSS users may receive ionospheric correction signals but the correction does not contain valid correction information. Extrapolation of the correction information can extend the coverage area to some extent. Three interpolation methods, Kriging, biharmonic spline and cubic spline, are tested to evaluate the extrapolation accuracy of the ionospheric delay corrections outside the correction coverage area. IGS (International GNSS Service) ionosphere map data is used to simulate the corrections and to compute the extrapolation error statistics. Among the three methods, biharmonic method yields the best accuracy. The estimation error has a high value during Spring and Fall. The error has a high value in South and East sides and has a low value in North side.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2016

The East African ionosphere (3°S-18°N, 32°E-50°E) was mapped using Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements from ground-based GPS receivers situated at Asmara, Mekelle, Bahir Dar, Robe, Arbaminch, and Nairobi. Assuming a thin shell ionosphere at 350 km altitude, we project the Ionospheric Pierce Point (IPP) of a slant TEC measurement with an elevation angle of >10° to its corresponding location on the map. We then infer the estimated values at any point of interest from the vertical TEC values at the projected locations by means of interpolation. The total number of projected IPPs is in the range of 24-66 at any one time. Since the distribution of the projected IPPs is irregularly spaced, we have used an inverse distance weighted interpolation method to obtain a spatial grid resolution of 1°×1° latitude and longitude, respectively. The TEC maps were generated for the year 2008, with a 2 hr temporal resolution. We note that TEC varies diurnally, with a peak in the late afternoon (at 1700 LT), due to the equatorial ionospheric anomaly. We have observed higher TEC values at low latitudes in both hemispheres compared to the magnetic equatorial region, capturing the ionospheric distribution of the equatorial anomaly. We have also confirmed the equatorial seasonal variation in the ionosphere, characterized by minimum TEC values during the solstices and maximum values during the equinoxes. We evaluate the reliability of the map, demonstrating a mean error (difference between the measured and interpolated values) range of 0.04-0.2 TECU (Total Electron Content Unit). As more measured TEC values become available in this region, the TEC map will be more reliable, thereby allowing us to study in detail the equatorial ionosphere of the African sector, where ionospheric measurements are currently very few.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.11-18
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• 2016

Global Positioning System (GPS) is currently widely used for aviation applications. Single-frequency GPS receivers are highly affected by the ionospheric delay error, and the ionospheric delay should be corrected for accurate positioning. Single-frequency GPS receivers use the Klobuchar model, whose model parameters are transmitted from GPS satellites. In this paper, the long-term accuracy of the Klobuchar model from 2002 to 2014 is analyzed. The IGS global ionosphere map is considered as true ionospheric delay, and hourly, seasonal, and geographical error variations are analyzed. Histogram of the ionospheric delay error is also analyzed. The influence of solar and geomagnetic activity on the Klobuchar model error is analyzed, and the Klobuchar model error is highly correlated with solar activity. The results show that the Klobuchar model estimates 8 total electron content unit (TECU) over the true ionosphere delay in average. The Klobuchar model error is greater than 12 TECU within $20^{\circ}$ latitude, and the error is less than 6 TECU at high latitude.

• Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2024

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has been used as a tool to accurately extract the Total Electron Content (TEC) in the ionosphere. The multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS) constellations bring new opportunities for ionospheric research. In this study, we develop a regional ionospheric TEC model using GPS, Galileo, and QZSS measurements. To develop an ionospheric model covering the Asia-Oceania region, we select 13 International GNSS Service (IGS) stations. The ionospheric model applies the spherical harmonic expansion method and has a spatial resolution of 2.5°×2.5° and a temporal resolution of one hour. GPS TEC, Galileo TEC, and QZSS TEC are investigated from January 1 to January 31, 2024. Different TEC values are in good agreement with each other. In addition, we compare the QZSS(J07) TEC and the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) Global Ionosphere Map (GIM) TEC. The results show that the QZSS TEC estimated in the study coincides closely with the CODE GIM TEC.