Space Weather Ionospheric Network Canada (SWINCan) will establish a pan-Canadian infrastructure of ground-based sensors that will provide state-of-the-art, real-time monitoring of the ionosphere spanning polar, auroral, and sub-auroral latitudes. SWINCan is an expansion and modernization of the Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network (CHAIN), one of the world’s largest networks for ionospheric research operated by the Radio and Space Physics Laboratory (RSPL) at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). SWINCan will deploy 100 specialized Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and 10 modular ionospheric sounder (MODIS) systems across Canada, while enhancing the 28 GNSS and 10 ionosonde systems currently installed in the Canadian Arctic as part of CHAIN. SWINCan GNSS receivers are high-rate (100 Hz) ionospheric scintillation and total electron content (TEC) monitors (GISTMs) that will provide real-time data and enhance multi-scale observation of the ionospheric structure and dynamics. MODIS systems being developed by RSPL are next generation, low power high frequency (HF) systems that take advantage of the latest developments in software defined radio and signal processing technology to reduce power consumption and increase ionospheric measurement capabilities in harsh, remote environments such as the Canadian Arctic. SWINCan is designed to take advantage of the unique natural laboratory of the Canadian Arctic for the fundamental study of solar-terrestrial interactions, and will provide essential input for mitigation of space weather effects on modern technological systems such as GNSS, radio communication, and over-the-horizon-radar, services critical to social, military, science, and major economic sectors.

The lunar ionosphere is a similar to 100 km thick layer of plasma surrounding the Moon. Despite knowledge of its existence for decades, the structure and dynamics of the lunar plasma remain a mystery due to lack of consistent observational capacity. An enhanced observational picture of the lunar ionosphere and improved understanding of its formation/loss mechanisms is critical for understanding the lunar environment as a whole and assessing potential safety and economic hazards associated with lunar exploration and habitation. To address the high-priority need for observations of the electrically charged constituents near the lunar surface, the Radio Instrument Package for Lunar Ionospheric Observation (RIPLIO) mission is being developed. RIPLIO would consist of a multi-CubeSat constellation (at least two satellites) in lunar orbit for the purpose of conducting "crosslink" radio occultation (RO) measurements of the lunar ionosphere. This work builds off the concept study for RIPLIO [1] and presents enhanced RO simulations, implementing more realistic models of the lunar ionosphere. We have constructed models to simulate ionospheric plasma behavior under various heliophysical conditions, including periods when the Moon is exposed to solar wind and when it orbits within Earth's magnetosphere. The RO simulations compute the differential phase delay of a dual-frequency radio signal propagating in the modelled lunar ionosphere. Initial results show differential phase delay ranges, depending on frequency pairs, from 10(0) to 10(3) cycles within Earth's magnetosphere and from 10(-2) to 10(1) cycles under solar wind conditions. These findings help in narrowing down the system and operational requirements for RIPLIO, including optimal radio frequency ranges, atomic clock stability and antenna specifications.

On April 8, 2024 there will be a total solar eclipse spanning Mexico, Central-East United States, and Eastern Canada. A total solar eclipse has a dramatic effect on the structure, dynamic behaviour, and coupling of the Earth's atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere (AIM) system, and presents a unique opportunity to study the physics and chemistry at play during a sudden and localized reduction in solar radiation. As demonstrated in studies of previous eclipse events such as the August 2017 “Great American Eclipse”, there remains several outstanding questions pertaining to the complex physical processes that occur within the AIM environment during a solar eclipse. Addressing many of these open issues requires enhanced observational capabilities, including high spatial and temporal resolution observations of the ionosphere during a solar eclipse. To monitor the ionosphere over Eastern Canada during the April 2024 event, we are in the process of installing 49 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, including 30 high-rate scintillation monitors, as well as 3 ionosonde systems. This radio remote-sensing network will be located within and adjacent to the path of totality, and is designed to observe the multi-scale (sub-km to 100s of kms) structuring of the ionosphere during the eclipse event. We will discuss the details of the EclipseNB network and the potential applications of these observations.

AbstractThe high latitude ionospheric evolution of the May 10‐11, 2024, geomagnetic storm is investigated in terms of Total Electron Content and contextualized with Incoherent Scatter Radar and ionosonde observations. Substantial plasma lifting is observed within the initial Storm Enhanced Density plume with ionospheric peak heights increasing by 150–300 km, reaching levels of up to 630 km. Scintillation is observed within the cusp during the initial expansion phase of the storm, spreading across the auroral oval thereafter. Patch transport into the polar cap produces broad regions of scintillation that are rapidly cleared from the region after a strong Interplanetary Magnetic Field reversal at 2230UT. Strong heating and composition changes result in the complete absence of the F2‐layer on the eleventh, suffocating high latitude convection from dense plasma necessary for Tongue of Ionization and patch formation, ultimately resulting in a suppression of polar cap scintillation on the eleventh.