Depolarization measurements at 11.6 GHz on Earth-space paths using the SIRIO satellite

Depolarization (XPD) data at 11.6 GHz in circular polarization collected during the SIRIO experiment on the Italian stations of Fucino and Lario are presented and analyzed. The obtained results are presented both in conditional form (i.e., XPD statistics conditioned to the co-polar attenuation (CPA)) and in "equiprobable" form (i.e., by comparing XPD-CPA values exceeded for the same fraction of the total observation time). The conditional XPD appears spread in an interval of
\pm5
dB around the conditional median value. This latter appears to be very close to the "equiprobable" value. The International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) procedure giving the "equiprobable" XPD appears fairly well supported by the Fucino data, while the Lario data give higher depolarization than predicted by CCIR.