Space Weather: Real-time Ionospheric Specification Using the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network

这项提议将改进15个SuperDARN雷达用于实时确定电离层反射点的临界频率和层高的技术。这些观测将在目前由电离层探空仪进行稀疏采样的大片地理区域内进行。这一努力代表了SuperDARN系统在“探测模式”中的新用途。这种新的操作模式是由科迪亚克雷达的PI开发和实施的。探测模式利用正常方位扫描模式中的暂停时间(~10秒)，利用地面反射来确定不同频率的射线的跳跃距离。通过确定跳跃距离如何随频率变化，将有可能找到作为地面范围的函数的最大可用频率。PI的主要目标涉及六项不同的研究活动：(1)修改目前的SuperDARN软件，以便在实时数据流中包括到达角(AOA)信息；(2)利用探测模式数据确定实时电离层临界频率和层高；(3)利用临界频率测定来观察、跟踪和研究大范围高纬度电离层密度不规则的动力学；(4)通过因特网向空间气象界分发SuperDARN实时foF2值和虚拟高度；(5)继续开发SuperDARN探测模式技术；以及(6)使用探测模式数据来优化每个SuperDARN雷达的工作频率。

This proposal will improve techniques used by the fifteen SuperDARN radars to determine in real-time the critical frequency and layer height at the ionospheric reflection point. These observations will be made over large geographical regions that are currently sparsely sampled by ionosondes. This effort represents a new use of the SuperDARN system in "sounding mode." This new mode of operation has been developed and implemented by the PI at the Kodiak radar. The sounding mode exploits the pause time (~10 sec) during the normal azimuth scan mode, making use of ground reflections to determine the skip distance of rays at various frequencies. By determining how the skip distance varies with frequency, it will be possible to find the maximum useable frequency as a function of ground range. The PI's main goals involve six distinct research activities: (1) modification of current SuperDARN software to include angle-of-arrival (AOA) information in the real-time data stream; (2) use of sounding mode data to determine real-time ionospheric critical frequencies and layer heights; (3) use of critical frequency determinations to observe, track, and study the dynamics of large-scale high latitude ionospheric density irregularities; (4) distribution of SuperDARN real-time foF2 values and virtual heights to the space weather community via the internet; (5) continued development of the SuperDARN sounding mode technique; and (6) use of sounding mode data to optimize the operating frequency at each SuperDARN radar.