POWRE: High-Resolution Studies of Gravity Waves and Airglow Continuum

在这个项目中，中性原子和分子的夜间气辉将在大气中四个不同高度的四个波长处被观察到。现有的全天成像仪将被升级，加入一个可以产生数字图像的冷却CCD设备。全天图像将记录气辉发射的详细结构，而八通道光度计测量四个气辉波长的强度。将对这些数据进行分析，以确定通过气辉层的重力波的波长和速度。小尺度结构和波动将提供有关重力波通过引起的湍流和能量耗散的信息。光度计还测量了四个波长的气辉连续体的强度；对这些数据的分析可以加强对发生在这些大气高度的光化学和动力学过程的理解。这项研究将增加现有的数据库，涵盖8年和3个纬度。该项目由POWRE计划支持，该计划将允许PI花一个休假时间专注于这项研究，并让本科生参与该项目。尽管是在一个本科机构，PI一直保持着与雪松（耦合，能量学和大气区域动力学）社区的紧密联系，但还没有能够投入大量的时间来研究。

9720622 Kieffaber In this project, the nighttime airglow from neutral atoms and molecules will be observed at four wavelengths which originate at four different heights in the atmosphere. An existing all-sky imager will be upgraded by incorporating a cooled CCD device which produces digitzed images. The all-sky images will record the detailed structure of airglow emissions while an eight-channel photometer measures intensities at four airglow wavelengths. These data will be analyzed to determine wavelengths and speeds of gravity waves passing through the airglow layers. The small scale structure and fluctuations will give information about turbulence and energy dissipation caused by the passage of gravity waves. The photometer also measures the intensity of the airglow continuum at four wavelengths; analysis of these data can enhance understanding of the photochemical and dynamic processes occurring at these atmospheric heights. The research will add to an existing data base covering eight years and three latitudes. This project is supported by the POWRE program, which will allow the PI to spend a sabbatical focusing on this research, and involve undergraduate students in the project. Despite being at an undergraduate institution, the PI has maintained strong ties to the CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) community but has not been able to devote significant amounts of her time to research.