REU Supplement to a Global Study of Meridional Winds in the Thermosphere

这项提案是犹他州立大学和位于亨茨维尔的阿拉巴马大学联合提交的，目的是应用在以前美国国家科学基金会的支持下开发的一项新技术，根据对电离层F2层高度的地面测量来确定中性经向热层风。高层大气中全球风系统的知识对于了解热量和少量化学成分从高纬度到低纬度以及从白天到夜晚的传输是基本的，并有助于预测用于与航天器进行无线电波和微波通信的电离层的传播特性。来自这两个机构的资源和技能的结合将导致一项特别强大的研究。

This proposal is a joint submission from Utah State University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville for the application of a new technique developed under previous NSF support to determine neutral meridional thermospheric winds from ground based measurements of the height of the ionospheric F2 layer. The knowledge of the global wind system in the upper atmosphere is basic to understanding the transport of heat and minor chemical constituents from high latitudes to low and from dayside to nightside, and for predicting the propagation characteristics of the ionosphere for radio waves and microwave communication with spacecraft. The combination of resources and skills from the two institutions will lead to a particularly strong study.