Research Article

Intermittency in the integrated power ofionospheric density fluctuations

¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
² Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, Greece
³ Department of Geomatics Engineering, University of Calgary, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Alberta, Canada

^* Corresponding author: hossein.ghadjari@ucalgary.ca

Received: 27 November 2024
Accepted: 29 May 2025

Abstract

The occurrence of ionospheric irregularities poses a significant challenge to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) by disrupting signal propagation and causing loss of lock (LOL) events. This study investigates the integrated power spectral density (PSD) of electron density fluctuations at various scales using nearly ten years of Swarm satellite data. The analysis focuses on the post-sunset equatorial ionosphere, a region prone to ionospheric irregularities. GPS receivers on Swarm A and C, orbiting at altitudes between 430 and 460 km, suffer more frequent loss of navigational capability (LNC) than Swarm B (at 530 km). The observed power-law distribution of integrated power at small spatial scales (<30 km) points to scale-free behavior, which is a hallmark of complex systems and may be associated with self-organized criticality (SOC). The study also employs multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) to demonstrate the multifractal and intermittent nature of the fluctuations. The findings highlight the importance of intermittency and strong bursts in understanding the LNC and LOL events in the ionosphere. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of ionospheric irregularities and offers potential for improved forecasting and mitigation of their impact on GNSS.