Multivariate Statistics Applied to the SPORT Mission Data Analysis

• Grant number: 19/23314-7
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): September 02, 2021
• Effective date (End): October 01, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Physics of Fluids, Plasma Physics and Electrical Discharge
• Principal researcher: Marco Antonio Ridenti
• Grantee: Marco Antonio Ridenti
• Host: Charles Swenson
• Home Institution: Divisão de Ciências Fundamentais (IEF). Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA). Ministério da Defesa (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Utah State University (USU), United States
• Associated research grant: 16/24970-7 - The Scintillation Prediction Observation Research Task (SPORT), AP.TEM

Abstract

The SPORT (Scintilation Prediction Observation Research Task) project is a collaborative effort between Brazilian and American to put into orbit a CubeSat that will study the instabilities of the equatorial ionosphere. The satellite will be equipped with six instruments to probe the ionosphere. The project will also use data from the Brazilian ground instruments such as radiosondes and all-sky imagers from INPE (National Institute for Space Research) in order to validate the scientific methodology. The main scientific goal of the SPORT mission is the investigation of the previous state of the ionosphere that leads to the formation of plasma bubbles in the equatorial regions in all longitudes. It will also investigate how these bubbles affect the propagation in the ionosphere of electromagnetic signals used for navigation and communications. The SPORT project is currently supported by NASA and FAPESP (Process 2016/24970-7). In this context, it is important to plan and consolidate the methodology of multi-instrument data analysis in order to extract useful information from data by the collaborative effort between the associate investigators. In this period of research in the United States, we pretend to establish the strategies and analysis methods based on multivariate statistics. This project will be developed together with the PI (principal investigator) of SPORT and subsequently it will be discussed with the Co-PIs from NASA and the main investigator and associated investigators of the FAPESP thematic project.