Ionospheric scintillation monitoring at a low latitude Indian station during geo-magnetic storm

Ionospheric scintillation, an effect due to the electron content density irregularities is one of the various phenomena of Ionosphere that causes deep and frequent signal fading. Scintillations not only cause deep signal fading and affect in GPS/Satellite Based Augmentation (SBAS) receiver pseudorange and carrier measurements. As India comes under low latitude region more care has to be taken for providing ionospheric differential corrections to GPS users. GPS data acquired at K L University (Geographic 16.31°N, 80.37°E) Vaddeswaram, India is considered. This location falls under the transition zone between the equatorial trough and the anomaly crest in Indian region. In this paper, spectral analysis of phase scintillations during geomagnetic storm occurred on 17^th March 2013 is carried out. Statistical parameters of the GPS signal such as Scintillation index and power spectral density (PSD) are discussed. Spectral slope (p) one of the spectral parameters has been determined from Power Spectrum Density through Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The preliminary results would be immensely useful for developing a suitable model for ionospheric scintillation for the location.