Case study of intense scintillation events on the OTS path

P. Basili, P. Ciotti, G. d'Auria, P. Ferrazzoli, and D. Solimini

Abstract

Selected events of enhanced field amplitude fluctuations recorded on the Orbital Test Satellite (OTS) path have been analyzed. The
statistical properties of the beacon signals together with their correlation with the concurrent radiometric signal suggest that both scintillation and
a variable attenuation mechanism act to produce the field fluctuations. Analysis of the coherence between the beacon and the radiometric signals
gives an indication of the fluctuation frequency range over which each effect prevails. The comparison between scintillation data collected by a
large (17 m) and a small (3 m) antenna indicates that the turbulence of the refractive index was particularly high during the course of the considered events.

Index Terms - Atmospheric propagation. Satellite link. Scintillation. Refractive index. Turbulence.

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