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

由太阳风扰动驱动的地磁风暴是一种动态事件，它可以引起电离层、等离子层和磁层中等离子体的剧烈重构。这些事件引起中尺度再分布，引起风暴增强密度（SED）羽流和极电离舌（TOI）的形成。等离子体斑块是由电离之舌形成的，随后通过地球磁场中带电粒子的盛行的E x B漂移在极帽上传播。沿极帽斑块边缘和TOI、SED特征形成陡峭的密度梯度；这些梯度是等离子体不稳定的源区，在背景等离子体中产生电子密度不规则级联。当无线电信号通过不规则性传播时，在接收到的无线电信号的幅度和相位中产生快速波动或闪烁。闪烁对高精度GPS观测和导航造成了严重的空间天气危害。需要全面的系统级研究，通过观测SED、TOI和极帽斑块历史同时与直接极帽闪烁数据联系因果关系。有了这份合同，科学家们将研究南极上空TOI和极地帽斑的形成，并观察SED和TOI与极地闪烁的关系，使用来自多个现有平台的GPS数据和位于三个不同南极地点的特殊装备的GPS闪烁接收器。教育机会将通过麻省理工学院干草堆？她正在参与诸如美国国家科学基金会本科生研究经历、教师研究经历和重点高中实习等项目。

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.