CEDAR Postdoc: Aeronomical and Spectroscopic Studies of Key Airglow Features at High/Low Latitudes

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该项目的重点是通过检查在低纬度和高纬度获得的气辉光谱，对中间层/低层热层区域进行调查。低纬度研究将分析赤道天文台获得的OH Meinel波段的光谱数据。对氢氧的观测通常用于研究关键的中间层变量，如温度、潮汐和重力波。目的是帮助解决目前关于不同OH旋转振动波段推断出的温度变化的争议：OH （v=3）和（v=8）波段的天空光谱将与O2 O-1大气波段推断出的温度进行比较。高纬度研究将使用一种新的光谱仪，称为CESAR，它是根据最近的NSF MRI奖开发的，将与扑克平面非相干散射雷达协同放置和运行。新的摄谱仪将获得OH Meinel夜光的观测结果，并将其与低纬度地区的观测结果进行比较。在极光期间获得的光谱将被分析，以确定N2+， N2和O2+的时间行为，以及OH和O2的极光增强。就更广泛的影响而言，该项目为NSF的扑克平面非相干散射雷达设施增加了一个重要的新仪器，构成了一个新的社区资源。对目前报道的从氢氧测量中推断出的中间层温度差异的进一步了解，将有利于研究人员以及对气候趋势的调查。一名女科学家将在她的研究生涯开始时得到支持，本科生将参与该项目。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The project focuses on investigations of the mesosphere/lower thermosphere region through examination of airglow spectra obtained at both low and high latitudes. The low latitude study will analyze spectral data on the OH Meinel band obtained by equatorial astronomical observatories. OH observations of OH are routinely used to investigate key mesospheric variables such as temperatures, tides, and gravity waves. The aim is to help resolve a current controversy about the temperature variability deduced from different OH rovibrational bands: the sky spectra from OH (v=3) and (v=8) bands will be compared with temperatures deduced from the O2 O-1 Atmospheric band. The high latitude study will use a new spectrograph, dubbed CESAR, developed under a recent NSF MRI award which will be sited and operated in coordination with the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar. The new spectrograph will obtain observations of the OH Meinel nightglow which will be compared to the observations from low latitudes. Spectra obtained during aurora will be analyzed to determine the temporal behavior of N2+, N2, and O2+ as well as the auroral enhancements in OH and O2. In terms of broader impacts, the project adds an important new instrument to NSF's Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar facility, constituting a new community resource. The improved understanding of discrepancies currently reported in inferences of mesospheric temperatures from OH measurements will benefit researchers as well as investigations of climatological trends. A woman scientist will be supported at the start of her research career and undergraduate students will be involved in the project.