METHOD FOR OBSERVING SOURCE GENERATING MAGNETIC WAVES BY PLURAL SATELLITES

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable easy determination of a location generating radiation electromagnetic waves on the surface of the earth by obtaining each cross correlation function of radiation electromagnetic waves from the surface of the earth observed by respective electromagnetic wave receivers on board a group of satellites and computing the difference in arrival times at each satellite. ;SOLUTION: By arranging a group of four satellites which rotate while maintaining 'three- arrow' form, it becomes possible to observe the electromagnetic waves of a specific area a few times a day over a period of few minutes. Here, receivers 21-1 to 21-4 are each on board on the first to fourth satellites, and a cross correlation function computing part 22 obtains a cross correlation function Pij on the basis of the electric power of the radiation electromagnetic waves from the surface or underground of the earth received by each receiver. On the basis of the cross correlation function Pij, an arrival time difference computing part 23 computes the difference in arrival times δtij of the same electromagnetic waves arriving at each satellite. Then an electromagnetic wave location computing part 24 computes the location of a source of the electromagnetic waves on the basis of the difference of arrival time δtij of the same electromagnetic waves. As a result of this, it is possible to extract information that enables the determination of the location of a source generating radiation electromagnetic waves from the ground surface or the underground.;COPYRIGHT: (C)1999,JPO