A VLF Beacon Transmitter at South Pole

0093381 Inan拟议的工作是在南极建立和运行一个甚低频（VLF）信标发射机的三年努力，用于连续测量太阳对地球中间层和低电离层的影响。 具体而言，发射机将产生关于太阳质子事件、地球外部辐射带的相对论性（300千电子伏）电子沉淀、高能电子沉淀和高纬度/极冠磁层-电离层耦合过程的焦耳加热成分的数据。在地球同步轨道上测量的相对论性电子数显示出与亚暴和太阳活动有关的明显波动。 在一个事件中，这些高能电子可以穿透到低至30-40公里的高度，产生电离，X射线，并可能影响涉及臭氧产生的化学反应。 将通过南极各站接收到的南极甚低频信号的幅度和相位变化来观测相对论性电子沉淀的程度。南极信标将协同加强其他南极高层大气研究工作，如自动地球物理观测台方案和南半球相干高频雷达网。拟议的计划还有力地补充了正在进行的基于卫星的测量捕获和沉淀高能量电子在低海拔（SAMPEX）和高海拔（POLAR）。 信标将以约20 kHz的频率发射，用约6.25 km（尖端到尖端长度）长的水平偶极天线辐射1 kW的总功率。它将在计算机控制下运行，每15分钟约有1分钟的天气时间表。

0093381InanThe proposed work is a three year effort to establish and operate a very low frequency (VLF) beacon transmitter at South Pole, for the continuous measurement of solar effects on the Earth's mesosphere and lower ionosphere. Specifically the transmitter will produce data on solar proton events, relativistic (300 keV) electron precipitation from the Earth's outer radiation belts, and energetic electron precipitation and Joule heating components of high latitude/polar cap magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling processes. The relativistic electron population as measured at geosynchronous orbit exhibits pronounced fluctuations in association with substorm and solar activity. During an event, these highly energetic electrons can penetrate to altitudes as low as 30-40 km, producing ionization, x-rays and possibly affecting chemical reactions involving ozone production. The extent of relativistic electron precipitation will be observed by means of amplitude and phase variations of the South Pole VLF signal as received at various Antarctic stations. The South Pole beacon will synergistically enhance other antarctic upper atmospheric research efforts, such as the Automatic Geophysical Observatory programs and the southern hemisphere coherent HF radar network (SUPERDARN). The proposed program also strongly complements ongoing satellite based measurements of trapped and precipitating high energy electrons both at low altitudes (SAMPEX) and high altitudes (POLAR). The beacon will transmit at approximately 20 kHz, radiating 1 kW of total power with a ~6.25 km (tip-to-tip length) long horizontal dipole antenna. It will be operating under computer control with a synoptic schedule of about 1 min out of every 15 minutes.***