CEDAR Postdoc: Coupled Ionosphere/Thermosphere/Exosphere/Plasmasphere Neutral Density Measurement Initiative

尽管最近在理论模拟和观测方面都取得了进展，但对热层上层和外逸层下层中性物种密度的定量研究仍然是难以捉摸的。 如果要取得进展，使用地面仪器定期测量中性大气参数的技术至关重要。 该奖项利用精确的新测量能力来解决低地球轨道区域的原子氧和氢密度量化问题。 这项研究将利用目前正在阿雷西博和米尔斯通山观测站进行的通过顶侧电离层对F区轻离子种类密度和离子温度的测量。 雷达观测相结合的敏感光学气辉测量，和中性密度提取使用离子能量平衡，电荷交换平衡，和耦合的玻尔兹曼方程的时刻。 该方法使用现有的雷达链数据和新的测量从集群仪器在阿雷西博。 这项研究将导致一种自洽的技术，通过对耦合大气区域的地面遥感，定期和可靠地得出F区峰值及以上的中性密度。 除了评价和限制当代大气模型和理论外，拟议的活动还将进一步解决科学界的广泛关切，方法是从长期、时间、季节和太阳周期变化等方面对中性大气进行重要定性。

Quantification of neutral species densities in the upper thermosphere and lower exosphere remains elusive in spite of recent advances in both theoretical modeling and observations. Techniques for routinely measuring neutral atmosphere parameters using ground-based instruments is essential if progress is to be made. This award takes advantage of precise new measurement capabilities to attack the problem of atomic oxygen and hydrogen density quantification in the region of low-earth orbit. The study will make use of measurements of light ion species densities and ion temperatures in the F-region through the topside ionosphere that are currently being made at the Arecibo and Millstone Hill Observatories. The radar observations are combined with sensitive optical airglow measurements, and neutral densities are extracted using ion-energy balance, charge exchange equilibrium, and the coupled moments of the Boltzmann equation. The methodology uses existing radar chain data and new measurements from clustered instrumentation at Arecibo. The study will lead to a self-consistent technique to derive neutral densities routinely and reliably at and above the F-region peak through ground based remote sensing of the coupled atmospheric regions. In addition to evaluating and constraining contemporary atmospheric models and theories, the proposed activity will further address broad concerns of the scientific community by allowing for the important characterization of the neutral atmosphere with respect to secular, temporal, seasonal, and solar cycle variations.