Space Weather: A Search for Obtaining Precursors to ESF Using Thermospheric Dayglow Emissions

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The investigators will study the occurrence of Equatorial Spread F (ESF), which are irregularities in the nighttime equatorial ionosphere that cause disruption to communication and navigation signals. The development of these irregularities is highly unpredictable, but some studies have shown the existence of a precursor signature in oxygen dayglow emissions from the thermosphere. The investigators have developed an optical instrument capable of observing faint oxygen emission line intensities buried in the strong daytime background continuum. They will carry out these measurements with an aim to predict the ESF occurrence over South American longitudes from the Paranal observatory in Chile. The measurements will be combined with those of other optical instruments and radars in South America to establish the existence of precursor signatures to equatorial spread F. The development of a technique for predicting ESF will help to mitigate the effects these irregularities have on technical systems.