Investigation of the Relationship between Storm Enhanced Density and Scintillation in Antarctica

由太阳风扰动驱动的地磁暴是一种动态事件，可以引起电离层、等离子体层和磁层中等离子体的剧烈重新配置。这些事件导致中尺度再分布，从而形成风暴增强密度（SED）羽流和极区电离舌（TOI）。等离子体斑块是由电离舌形成的，随后通过地球磁场中带电粒子的流行E x B漂移穿过极帽传播。陡峭的密度梯度形成沿着边缘的极冠补丁和TOI和SED功能，这些梯度是源区域的等离子体不稳定性，产生级联的电子密度不规则性的背景等离子体。当无线电信号通过不规则体传播时，在接收的无线电信号幅度和相位中产生快速波动或振荡。闪烁是一种相当严重的空间天气灾害，特别是对于高精度GPS观测和导航而言。需要全面的系统级研究，通过观察SED，TOI和极帽斑块历史，同时直接极帽闪烁数据，将因果关系联系起来。有了这个奖项，科学家们将研究TOI和南极洲极地帽斑块的形成，并观察SED和TOI与极地闪烁的关系，使用来自多个现有平台和位于三个不同南极站点的专门装备的GPS闪烁接收器的GPS数据。教育机会将通过麻省理工学院草垛提供？我们正在参与的项目，如NSF研究经验的本科生，研究经验的教师，并重点高中实习。

Geomagnetic storms driven by solar wind perturbations are dynamic events that can cause dramatic reconfigurations of plasma in the ionosphere, plasmasphere, and magnetosphere. These events cause mesoscale redistributions giving rise to the formation of storm enhanced density (SED) plumes and polar tongues of ionization (TOI). Plasma patches are formed from the tongue of ionization and subsequently propagate across the polar cap by the prevailing E x B drift of charged particles in the Earth's magnetic field. Steep density gradients are formed along the edges of polar cap patches and the TOI and SED features; these gradients are the source region for plasma instabilities that produce cascades of electron density irregularities in the background plasma. As radio signals propagate through the irregularities, rapid fluctuations or scintillations are produced in the received radio signal amplitude and phase. Scintillation presents a considerable space weather hazard, especially for the high-precision GPS observations and navigation. Comprehensive system level studies are needed to link cause to effect through observations of SED, TOI, and polar cap patch histories simultaneously with direct polar cap scintillation data. With this award, scientists will study the formation of TOI and polar cap patches over Antarctica, and observe the relationship of SED and TOI to polar scintillation, using a combination of GPS data from multiple existing platforms and from specially equipped GPS scintillation receivers located at three different Antarctic sites. Educational opportunities will be provided through MIT Haystack?s ongoing involvement in programs like the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Research Experiences for Teachers, and focused high school internships.