A new analysis technique for estimating zonal irregularity drifts and variability in the equatorial F region using spaced receiver scintillation data

Abstract

A new technique for analyzing spaced receiver measurements of equatorial scintillation is applied to VHF scintillation data. The technique is based on a model that includes both propagation effects and the statistical characteristics of scintillation‐producing irregulatities. Nonlinear least squares fitting is used to fit the model to measured auto‐ and cross‐correlation functions of the signal amplitude fading on spaced receivers. The results are compared with mean and “random” drift estimates obtained using the classical type of correlation analysis.