Plasma Irregularity Sources Associated with Charged Dust in the Polar Summer Mesosphere

极地中层夏季回波（PMSEs）的解释已成为近地空间科学的核心挑战之一。这些雷达回波经常与高空的尘埃云（NLC）一起被观测到，后者由带电的尘埃粒子组成。由于NLC可以提供地球上全球气候变化的证据，是近地空间环境演变和动力学的指示器，PMSE和NLC之间的关系的定量理解也成为一个前沿问题。PMSE被认为是由NLC源层中的小尺度电子密度不规则性产生的。最近的同步探空火箭和雷达测量产生了最完整的图片，到目前为止的等离子体配置内NLC和PMSE的关系。这些测量提供了强有力的证据，PMSE增强之间的边界层的带电尘埃云和背景中层等离子体等离子体的不规则性也被观察到增强。要求提供资金，使一个重要的和实质性的进步，在定量的了解来源的电子密度不规则性认为产生PMSE。与最近的实验证据相一致，将开发一个新的模型，考虑NLC边界层作为PMSE生成的主要源区。这项研究将提供一种新的方法和途径，以获得基本的洞察力的重要性，NLC边界层在生产PMSEs.The拟议的活动将有广泛的影响，建立基础设施和学术部门之间的合作，在首席研究员的家乡institution。该活动还将维持首席研究员和政府研究实验室之间的长期合作。该活动将使大气科学和国际等离子体界之间的合作得到进一步发展。最后，少数PI和研究生教育将支持这项工作。

The explanation of Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes (PMSEs) has become one of the central challenges in near earth space science. These radar echoes are often observed in conjunction with high altitude noctilucent clouds (NLCs), which consist of charged dust particles. Since NLCs may provide evidence of global climate change on earth and are an indicator of the evolution and dynamics of the near earth space environment, a quantitative understanding of the relationship between PMSEs and NLCs has also become a forefront issue. PMSEs are believed to be produced by small-scale electron density irregularities in the NLC source layer. Recent simultaneous sounding rocket and radar measurements have produced the most complete picture to date of the plasma configuration inside NLCs and the relationship to PMSEs. These measurements provide strong evidence that PMSEs are enhanced in the boundary layer between the charged dust cloud and the background mesospheric plasma where plasma irregularities are also observed to be enhanced. Funding is requested to make an important and substantial advance in the quantitative understanding of the source of electron density irregularities believed to produce PMSEs. Consistent with the recent experimental evidence, a new model will be developed to consider the NLC boundary layer as a primary source region for PMSE generation. This investigation will provide a new methodology and approach to gaining fundamental insight into the importance of NLC boundary layers in producing PMSEs.The proposed activity will have broad impact by establishing infrastructure and collaboration between academic departments at the principal investigator's home institution. The activity will also sustain long term collaboration between the principal investigator and government research laboratories. The activity will allow collaborations to be furthered between the atmospheric science and international plasma communities. Finally, a minority PI and graduate student education will be supported by this work.