Investigations of Anomalous Energetics in the Mid-Latitude E-Region

该奖项为一个为期三年的研究计划提供资金，根据该计划，将研究似乎对在中纬度E地区观察到的令人惊讶的强烈能量负有责任的基本等离子体物理过程。实验将围绕使用频率捷变雷达(FAR)进行的测量，计划在2001年进行第二次SEEST火箭发射(SEEK-2)，使这一研究计划达到顶峰。将对上述电子加热事件进行首次地面调查。到目前为止，这一现象只被20年来发射的少数几枚探空火箭探测到。从这些测量中，对Sq电流系统和观察到电子加热事件的条件的全面描述将变得显而易见。

This award provides funds for a three-year research program under which basic plasma physical processes that appear to be responsible for the surprisingly strong energetics that have been observed in the midlatitude E region will be studied. The experiments will center around measurements to be made with a frequency-agile radar (FAR), with plans to culminate this research program with a second SEEK rocket campaign (SEEK-2) in 2001. The first ground-based investigations of the electron heating events mentioned above will be pursued. Thus far, this phenomenon has been detected only by a handful of sounding rockets launched over a 20 year period. From these measurements a comprehensive description of the Sq current system and the conditions under which electron heating events are observed will become evident.