Observational and Theoretical Studies of E/F-Region Electrodynamics and of Meteor-Related Aeronomy at Arecibo

提出了一个关于电离层E区和F区电动力学以及围绕高层大气中流星衍生金属的有关空气动力学问题的三年期综合研究方案。 拟议的研究是基于阿雷西博天文台（AO）正在进行的一项广泛的观测计划，该计划涉及非相干散射雷达（ISR）和流星模式雷达以及拟议的相关金属（Ca/Ca+，Fe，K，Na）激光雷达观测。 AO是唯一适合于这些拟议的研究与新的双光束能力产生第一个真正的三维观测，极端的灵敏度和方向性在ISR和流星模式，和共同的体积激光雷达能力。 拟议的观测和理论研究的目的是全面检验和扩展关于显然是“新的”电动过程的起源和规模的假设和结论，这些电动过程产生等离子体片和相关现象，包括真正的零星-E，并将微流星体进入大气层的过程与高层大气中金属的高空大气学紧密联系起来，并提供前所未有的准确度的全地球微流星体质量通量。

A three-year program of comprehensive studies of ionospheric E- and F-region electrodynamics and of related aeronomic issues surrounding meteor-derived metals in the upper atmosphere is proposed. The proposed studies are based on an extensive ongoing observing program at Arecibo Observatory (AO) that involves incoherent scatter radar (ISR) and meteor-mode radar as well as proposed associated metal (Ca/Ca+, Fe, K, Na) lidar observations. AO is uniquely suited for these proposed studies with the new dual-beam capability yielding the first true 3-D observations, extreme sensitivity and directivity in both ISR and meteor-modes, and the common-volume lidar capabilities. The proposed observational and theoretical studies are intended to comprehensively test and extend the hypotheses and conclusions concerning the origin and scale of the apparently "new" electrodynamic processes resulting plasma-sheets and related phenomena including true sporadic-E and in firmly tying micrometeoroid atmospheric-entry processes to the aeronomy of metals in the upper atmosphere and to provide whole-earth micrometeoroid mass fluxes of unprecedented accuracy.