GIOMO

next Generation near real-time IOnospheric MOdels

Aims

The objective of the project is to provide a summary of the state of the art in near-real time ionospheric modeling, to identify a candidate model including the description of areas for improvement of current near-real time ionospheric models, and the implementation and test of a selected candidate model in order to analyse the potential accuracy gain.

Brief Description

The project GIOMO identifies and consolidates improved ionospheric modeling technologies, implements a selected and refined model in software and integrate it into the existing OEGNOS (Austrian EGNOS data server) software in order to improve the positioning accuracy for this augmentation service and thus, to foster user acceptance.

Therefore, the project starts with a state-of-the-art analysis including on the one hand a general description of the physical effects and the structure of the ionosphere between the heights of the GNSS satellites and the earth’s surface where the focus is on the TEC (Total Electron Content) as major observable and on the other hand an analysis regarding different observation methods and networks already existing. Based on these analyses, a survey and comparison of existing models is carried out, including possible refinement approaches. This leads to the selection of one candidate model which will then be implemented including the refinement as pseudo-code and ionospheric model software module.

Afterwards, the software module is integrated into the OEGNOS software, replacing the standard model currently used, in order to improve the service accuracy. The OEGNOS software is an EGNOS based augmentation service providing “improved” EGNOS correction to users via a communication link. Finally, static and kinematic tests are carried out by using a test user terminal in order to analyse the accuracy gain induced into service by the refined ionospheric model.