Radar Studies of the Low- and Mid-Latitude Thermosphere

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This research is to study and model the variability of F region plasma and neutral atmospheric transport processes from equatorial to upper mid-latitudes using incoherent scatter radar and nighttime Fabry-Perot interferometer measurements from Peru, Arecibo and Millstone Hill. The PI's earlier experimental ionospheric disturbance electric field studies will be complemented by numerical simulations using the recently upgraded Rice Convection Model. The basic objective is the understanding and self-consistent empirical modeling of the short-term and spatial variability and effects of ionospheric electric fields and neutral winds, as well as the testing of global convection and circulation models.Large new databases of incoherent scatter radar drift measurements will be used to model the variability of mid- and low-latitude ionospheric disturbance plasma drifts, and their time constants, as a function of magnetospheric and high latitude ionospheric parameters. A storm-time dependent model of the nighttime thermospheric neutral winds to high latitude forcing using very extensive Fabry-Perot data from Arequipa, Arecibo, and Millstone Hill will be developed. These global plasma drift and neutral wind studies will also examine the effects of long and short duration high latitude forcing, UT and very large storm effects, and also storm time dependent coupling of disturbance winds and plasma drifts. The equatorial studies will include the variability of the quiet time daytime plasma drifts using JULIA data, and the study and empirical modeling of nighttime F-region neutral temperatures.