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The effects of the Sun on the Earth’s upper atmosphere, known as the ionosphere, and their implications for satellite-ground communication and ground infrastructures are of significant importance not only for the aerospace industry but also for the communications field. In this thesis, a study on Solar Flares (SF) has been conducted, which are sudden emissions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun lasting from minutes to hours. To investigate this phenomenon, a technique based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has been employed, detecting one of the Solar Flares effects (SFe), which is specifically the enhancement of Total Electron Content (TEC) in the ionosphere, resulting in delays in GNSS signals. By understanding the typical behavior of the ionosphere, sudden variations in TEC can be discriminated, allowing for the establishment of thresholds to determine when a Solar Flare has occurred. The GNSS Solar Flare detector (GNSS-SF) had been previously tested over an 11 year period. However, in the year 2023, coinciding with a solar maximum, the objective of this thesis is to demonstrate that increasing the sampling rate from 30 seconds to 5 seconds improves the performance of the GNSS-SF. This was achieved through a statistical analysis spanning almost 330 days between the two implementations, comparing GNSS-SF detections with those provided by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). It has been concluded that the implementation at a 5-second rate yields superior results and detects Solar Flares that the 30 second implementation fails to detect.

Tesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacions, (English) This document presents the collection of four manuscripts published during my Doctoral academic formation, which main goal has been the real-time implementation of tools to monitor the ionosphere using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. Despite the fact that there is a vast literature on ionospheric modelling, the state-of-the-art becomes narrow when referring to real-time developments, especially fulfilling precise requirements on accuracy, performance, coverage, and confidence in the generated products. The main contribution of this work to the scientific community is the deployment of ionospheric-related products to monitor in real-time the state of the ionosphere. The first and second publications targeted the implementation of a novel strategy based on a definition of a GNSS Solar Flare (SF) monitor to automatically confirm Solar Flare Effects (Sfe) in geomagnetism. In the first scientific article, it is inspected the methodology used to fine-tune (adapt) a SF monitor, working with an eleven years period of data to statistically correlate detected SF using GNSS signals with respect to SFe. The results demonstrated that the proposed GNSS Solar Flare monitor can confirm Sfe events when traditional Sfe detectors are not able to respond categorically. The second publication details the methodological approach for defining the proposed GNSS Solar Flare monitor, focusing on the theoretical formulation of the Slant Total Electron Content (STEC) obtained. The third contribution used GNSS signals to detect the presence of Medium Scale Travelling Ionospheric Disturbance (MSTID) within a network of permanent GNSS stations that provide the high-accuracy positioning service known as Network-Real-Time Kinematics (NRTK). The effects of a MSTID are characterized in terms of fluctuations in the electron density in the iono- sphere, experienced differently by each one of the GNSS stations used as reference receivers within the NRTK, and resulting in a d, (Español) Este documento se centra en la implementación de herramientas para monitorizar la ionosfera terrestre por medio del uso de señales GNSS. Si bien se puede encontrar una literatura bastante amplia sobre el modelado de la ionosfera, son reducidos los trabajos relacionados con aplicaciones en tiempo real, particularmente si se busca cumplir con requerimientos específicos vinculados con la precisión, el rendimiento, el cubrimiento y la certidumbre de los productos generados. La principal contribución de esta tesis doctoral es la generación en tiempo real de productos para monitorizar el estado de la ionosfera. Las primeras dos publicaciones se centran en el desarrollo de una nueva metodología fundamentada en un detector de Fulguraciones Solares (SF) basado en mediciones GNSS para la confirmación de los efectos de un SF (SFe) detectados por sensores geomagnéticos. En el primer artículo, se expone el procedimiento para el diseño y ajuste del detector GNSS de SF (GNSS-SF), empleando para ello un periodo de once años de datos con los cuales correlacionar estadísticamente SF detectados por medio del detector GNSS y los eventos SFe detectados en magnetismo. Los resultados demuestran que el detector GNSS-SF es capaz de confirmar eventos SFe cuando estos últimos no son categóricamente validados por los instrumentos magnéticos. La segunda publicación detalla el enfoque metodológico desarrollado para definir el detector GNSS-SF que se propone en el artículo. La tercera publicación emplea señales GNSS para detectar la presencia de perturbaciones de escala media que se desplazan en la ionosfera (MSTID) en una red de estaciones GNSS fijas que brindan servicios de posicionamiento muy preciso (NRTK). Los efectos de una MSTID pueden ser caracterizados por medio de la fluctuación en el contenido electrónico de la ionosfera, experimentado de manera diferente por cada una de las estaciones GNSS usadas como referencia dentro del servicio NRTK, ocasionando una degradación en el pos, Postprint (published version)

Tesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacions, (English) This document presents the collection of four manuscripts published during my Doctoral academic formation, which main goal has been the real-time implementation of tools to monitor the ionosphere using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. Despite the fact that there is a vast literature on ionospheric modelling, the state-of-the-art becomes narrow when referring to real-time developments, especially fulfilling precise requirements on accuracy, performance, coverage, and confidence in the generated products. The main contribution of this work to the scientific community is the deployment of ionospheric-related products to monitor in real-time the state of the ionosphere. The first and second publications targeted the implementation of a novel strategy based on a definition of a GNSS Solar Flare (SF) monitor to automatically confirm Solar Flare Effects (Sfe) in geomagnetism. In the first scientific article, it is inspected the methodology used to fine-tune (adapt) a SF monitor, working with an eleven years period of data to statistically correlate detected SF using GNSS signals with respect to SFe. The results demonstrated that the proposed GNSS Solar Flare monitor can confirm Sfe events when traditional Sfe detectors are not able to respond categorically. The second publication details the methodological approach for defining the proposed GNSS Solar Flare monitor, focusing on the theoretical formulation of the Slant Total Electron Content (STEC) obtained. The third contribution used GNSS signals to detect the presence of Medium Scale Travelling Ionospheric Disturbance (MSTID) within a network of permanent GNSS stations that provide the high-accuracy positioning service known as Network-Real-Time Kinematics (NRTK). The effects of a MSTID are characterized in terms of fluctuations in the electron density in the iono- sphere, experienced differently by each one of the GNSS stations used as reference receivers within the NRTK, and resulting in a d, (Español) Este documento se centra en la implementación de herramientas para monitorizar la ionosfera terrestre por medio del uso de señales GNSS. Si bien se puede encontrar una literatura bastante amplia sobre el modelado de la ionosfera, son reducidos los trabajos relacionados con aplicaciones en tiempo real, particularmente si se busca cumplir con requerimientos específicos vinculados con la precisión, el rendimiento, el cubrimiento y la certidumbre de los productos generados. La principal contribución de esta tesis doctoral es la generación en tiempo real de productos para monitorizar el estado de la ionosfera. Las primeras dos publicaciones se centran en el desarrollo de una nueva metodología fundamentada en un detector de Fulguraciones Solares (SF) basado en mediciones GNSS para la confirmación de los efectos de un SF (SFe) detectados por sensores geomagnéticos. En el primer artículo, se expone el procedimiento para el diseño y ajuste del detector GNSS de SF (GNSS-SF), empleando para ello un periodo de once años de datos con los cuales correlacionar estadísticamente SF detectados por medio del detector GNSS y los eventos SFe detectados en magnetismo. Los resultados demuestran que el detector GNSS-SF es capaz de confirmar eventos SFe cuando estos últimos no son categóricamente validados por los instrumentos magnéticos. La segunda publicación detalla el enfoque metodológico desarrollado para definir el detector GNSS-SF que se propone en el artículo. La tercera publicación emplea señales GNSS para detectar la presencia de perturbaciones de escala media que se desplazan en la ionosfera (MSTID) en una red de estaciones GNSS fijas que brindan servicios de posicionamiento muy preciso (NRTK). Los efectos de una MSTID pueden ser caracterizados por medio de la fluctuación en el contenido electrónico de la ionosfera, experimentado de manera diferente por cada una de las estaciones GNSS usadas como referencia dentro del servicio NRTK, ocasionando una degradación en el pos, Postprint (published version)

The Tonga volcano eruption at 04:15 UT on 2022-01-15 released enormous amounts of energy into the atmosphere, causing very significant geophysical variations not only in the immediate proximity of the epicenter but also globally across the whole atmosphere. The released energy generates perturbations on the electronic density present on the atmosphere, known as Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs), i.e., wave-like propagating irregularities that alter the electron density environment and play an important role spreading radio signals propagating through the ionosphere. Geomagnetic and ionospheric phenomena affect communications, GNSS, and other systems on which our technological society depends. The present final master’s thesis aims to analyse some of the most relevant TIDs characteristics (such as propagation speed, time, etc.) as a function of the distance from the eruption in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. First, evaluate Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX) files, i.e., a data interchange format for raw satellite navigation system data, and then, compute Prefit Residuals, i.e., the input data for the navigation equations. With this data, TIDs will be analysed with a series of indices that sample in post-process the disturbance of the ionosphere, developed by Research group of Astronomy and GEomatics of the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (gAGE)., La erupción del volcán Tonga a las 04:15 UT del 15-01-2022 liberó enormes cantidades de energía a la atmósfera, desencadenando variaciones geofísicas muy significativas no solo en la proximidad inmediata del epicentro sino también a nivel mundial en toda la atmósfera. Estas variaciones se conocen como perturbaciones ionosféricas viajeras (TID, por sus si-glas en inglés), es decir, irregularidades de propagación en forma de onda que alteran el entorno de densidad de electrones y desempeñan un papel importante en la propagación de señales de radio que se propagan a través de la ionosfera. Los fenómenos geomagnéticos e ionosféricos afectan a las comunicaciones, GNSS y otros sistemas de los que depende nuestra sociedad tecnológica. La presente tesis final de máster tiene como objetivo analizar algunas de las características más relevantes de los TIDs (como la velocidad de propagación, el tiempo, etc.) en función de la distancia desde la erupción en las señales del Sistema Global de Navegación por Satélite (GNSS). Primero, evaluando los archivos de Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX), es decir, un formato de intercambio de datos para los datos brutos del sistema de navegación por satélite, y luego, calculando los residuos de preajuste, es decir, los datos de entrada para las ecuaciones de navegación. Con estos datos, se analizarán las TIDs con una serie de índices que muestrean en postproceso la perturbación de la ionosfera, desarrollados por el grupo de investigación de Astronomía y GEomática de la Universitat Politecnica de Cata-lunya (gAGE)., Incoming

The Ground based Augmentation System (GBAS) is being developed to enable precision approach and landing operations using the Global Positioning System (GPS). Each GBAS installation provides services through a GBAS Ground Facility (GGF) which is located at the airport it serves. By monitoring the GPS signals, measurements, and navigation messages, the GGF is able to exclude unhealthy satellites and broadcast real-time range correction messages for healthy satellites to users via a VHF data link. Airborne users apply these corrections to remove errors that are common between the GGF and the aircraft. The GGF is also responsible for warning the aircraft of any potential integrity threats. One source of potential errors is the satellite broadcast ephemeris message, which users decode and use to compute GPS satellite positions. In GBAS, potential GPS ephemeris faults are categorized into two types, A and B, based upon whether or not the fault is associated with a satellite manoeuvre. Both type A and type B events can cause differential ranging errors. However, the ramifications of these failure classes differ in both likelihood of occurrence and means of detection. The likelihood of type B failures is relatively higher than type A because orbit ephemeris uploads and broadcast ephemeris changeovers are frequent (nominally once per day and once every 2 h, respectively, for each satellite), whereas spacecraft manoeuvres are rare (no more than once or twice per year). This work focuses on aviation navigation threats caused by Type B faults for Category I (Cat-I) aircraft Precision Approach (PA). To detect and mitigate these threats, we investigate GGF monitors based on comparing projected satellite position estimates based on Zero-Order and First-Order Hold (ZOH, FOH) estimators, using prior days of data. Objectives: − Background literature review to know the state of the Art. − To develop algorithms to linearly compute projected satellite estimated based on a pr