CEDAR: Optical Measurements of Daytime Thermospheric Dynamics and Nighttime Mesospheric and Thermospheric Dynamics at the Magnetic Equator

研究人员将在秘鲁的万卡约地球物理观测站操作第二代优化法布里-佩罗多普勒成像仪（SOFDI）来测量中间层和热层风。主要目的是确定纬向风向与赤道扩散f和磁赤道闪烁的发生之间的联系方式。理解赤道地区复杂电动力学的一个问题是如何解释受扰动电离层影响的日变化，这些影响以气泡、闪烁、底部扩散F和赤道扩散F等现象为代表。虽然其他因素在这些现象中起作用，但调节穿越傍晚暮光终结线的纬向风速度的半日热层潮汐活动的变化可能是一个关键因素。纬向风速的这种变化可能会影响f区发电机发展的时机，并改变等离子体不稳定性发展的可能性。SOFDI仪器设计用于在夜间和白天测量偏远地区的气辉强度、大气风和温度。观测将与全天成像仪和Jicamarca非相干散射雷达协调进行。研究人员还将调查大气重力波对不规则增长的可能影响。赤道电离层的不规则现象产生的闪烁会影响导航和通信系统的运行。这项研究将有助于开发能够预测闪烁发生的模型，以保护这些系统免受有害的空间天气影响。

The investigators will operate a Second-generation Optimized Fabry-Perot Doppler Imager (SOFDI) at the Huancayo Geophysical Observatory in Peru to measure mesospheric and thermospheric winds. The main objective is to determine the way in which zonal wind direction is linked to the occurrence of equatorial spread-F and scintillations at the magnetic equator. A problem in understanding the complex electrodynamics of the equatorial region has been to explain the day-to-day variability of the effects of the disturbed ionosphere, represented by the phenomena of bubbles, scintillations, bottomside spread F, and equatorial spread F. While other factors play a role in these phenomena, the change in the semi-diurnal thermospheric tidal activity that modulates the speed of the zonal wind across the evening twilight terminator may be a key factor. Such variations of the zonal wind speed may affect the timing for the development of the F-region dynamo and modify the likelihood of the development of plasma instabilities. The SOFDI instrument is designed for both nighttime and dayglow measurements of airglow intensities and atmospheric winds and temperatures at remote locations. The observations will be made in coordination with an all-sky imager and the Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar. The investigators will also investigate the possible effects of atmospheric gravity waves on irregularity growth. Irregularities in the equatorial ionosphere produce scintillations that affect the operation of navigation and communications systems. This study will help develop models that can forecast the occurrence of scintillations to protect these systems from deleterious space weather effects.