Balloon-Borne Studies of the Ionosphere and Magnetosphere Above Antarctica

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This project has two tasks. The first is to continue the analysis of data obtained from electric field and x-ray instruments flown in Antarctica in the past. The second is to provide electric field measuring instruments for long duration balloons to be flown by the Japanese from Syowa Station, Antarctica, and to analyze the resulting data. These Polar Patrol Balloons (PPB) are expected to circumnavigate the south pole several times and to have flight times of approximately one month. They will, in the course of their flights, cover geomagnetic latitudes ranging from the high polar cap to the mid-latitude ion trough. The main focus of the research will be on ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves. The proposers will perform a statistical study of the ratio of electrical to magnetic field strength as a function of frequency, geomagnetic activity, magnetic local time and magnetic latitude. These studies will provide data on the variation of geoelectric activity at different times in the solar cycle. Simultaneous coordinated measurements were made during the earlier campaign by several ground based instruments including the PACE radar, and this will also be done during the Japanese Polar Patrol Balloon flights.