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

提出了一项为期三年的综合研究电离层E区和F区电动力学以及与高层大气中流星衍生金属有关的空气动力学问题的方案。拟议的研究基于阿雷西博天文台正在进行的一项广泛的观测计划，其中包括非相干散射雷达(ISR)和流星模式雷达，以及拟议的伴生金属(Ca/Ca，Fe，K，Na)激光雷达观测。新的双光束能力产生了第一次真正的3D观测，在ISR和流星模式下都具有极高的灵敏度和方向性，以及共同体积的激光雷达能力，是唯一适合于这些拟议研究的新的双光束能力。拟议的观测和理论研究的目的是全面检验和扩大关于产生等离子体片和相关现象(包括真正的零星E)的明显“新”电动力学过程的起源和规模的假设和结论，并将微流星体进入大气的过程与高层大气中金属的大气学牢牢联系在一起，并以前所未有的精度提供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.