Micrometeoroid Mass Flux Influences on Space Weather and Middle Atmosphere Aeronomy Studied Using the Six NSF Radars and Modeling

研究人员将在中间层和低层热层（MLT）进行流星体相关过程的观测和理论研究。本研究将利用六个NSF雷达（以及相关的激光雷达）的观测数据，因为需要不同的频率，相对于地磁场的视角和纬度/季节来确定整个地球的流星体质量通量，探索头部/尾迹回波散射机制，并揭示流星体与大气相互作用的细节，包括碎裂，烧蚀，溅射以及由此产生的等离子体物理和航空经济学效应。流星体质量通量对该地区的航空和电动力学的复杂作用，如零星e，零星金属层和极地中间层夏季回波（PMSE），仍然是空间天气的一个虚幻甚至未被识别的组成部分。需要详细了解雷达头/轨迹回波雷达散射过程的无线电科学，以正确解释流星体周围的等离子体如何产生和演变，然后形成流星轨迹，从而揭示对溅射，碎片和终端过程的重要见解。这些过程的细节仍然是争议的来源。研究人员还将研究流星体金属是如何到达潮汐离子、散e层、夜光云和PMSE的。现代高功率大口径雷达流星观测极大地促进了整个流星物理学和相关航空学领域的发展。雷达流星头/尾回波散射过程的观测和建模/模拟研究提供了对流星体与大气相互作用的独特见解，也提供了对大气离子和“烟雾”对电离层D区和e区的贡献的独特见解。观测将提供流星体等离子体轨迹如何演变成地磁场对准等离子体结构的细节，并将探索令人惊讶和有指导意义的流星体耀斑产生的等离子体波，产生非热雷达散射。瑞利雷达和金属激光雷达的观测结果为流星体通量气动学研究提供了一个新的维度。进入MLT的流星体通量与太阳系和局部星系过程有关。这些是“系统的系统”空间天气问题，在这些问题中，上层大气的流星体能量耗散加热与极光区的焦耳和粒子加热具有相同的顺序——这显然是流星体通量的一个未被认识的特性。这项研究还将导致新的雷达成像技术的发展，并有助于解决诸如流星体质量通量在许多低层大气过程（如云的形成和平流层化学）中的作用等问题。对与流星有关的电动力学和非平衡等离子体物理学的探索可能会刺激其他领域的研究，例如电离层加热界。这项研究将涉及研究生和本科生的研究人员，以发现和学习交流有关流星体过程的知识，相关的空间天气和系统问题，以及相关的航空学。

The investigators will conduct observational and theoretical studies of meteoroid-related processes in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The study will utilize observations at the six NSF radars (and associated lidars), as a diversity of frequencies, viewing angles relative to the geomagnetic field, and latitudes/seasons is required to determine the whole earth meteoroid mass flux, explore the head/trail-echo scattering mechanisms, and to reveal details of the meteoroid interaction with the atmosphere including fragmentation, ablation, sputtering, and the resultant plasma physics and aeronomic effects. The complex role of the meteoroid mass flux to the Mesosphere & Lower-Thermosphere (MLT) on the aeronomy and electrodynamics of this region as represented by, e.g., sporadic-E, sporadic metal layers, and Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes (PMSE), remains an illusive and even unrecognized component of space weather. Detailed understanding of the radio science of the radar head/trail-echo radar scattering processes is required to correctly interpret how the plasma surrounding the meteoroid--and that then forms the meteor trail--is generated and evolves, thus revealing important insights into sputtering, fragmentation, and terminal processes. Details of these processes remain a source of controversy. The investigators will also study how the meteoroid metals arrive in tidal ion, sporadic-E layers, noctilucent clouds, and PMSE. Modern high-power, large-aperture (HPLA) radar meteor observations have greatly stimulated the entire field of meteor physics and associated aeronomy. Observational and modeling/simulation studies of the radar meteor head/trail-echo scattering processes provide unique insight into meteoroid interaction with the atmosphere and also into the contribution of meteoric ions and "smoke" to the ionospheric D- and E-regions. The observations will provide details on how the meteoroid plasma trail evolves into geomagnetic field aligned plasma structures and will explore the surprising and instructive meteoroid flare generated plasma waves that produce non-thermal radar scattering. Together with radar observations, Rayleigh and metal lidar results provide a new dimension to meteoroid flux aeronomic studies. The meteoroid flux into the MLT is linked to solar system and local galactic processes. These are "systems of systems" space weather issues where meteoroid energy dissipation heating of the upper atmosphere is of the same order as Joule and particle heating of the auroral zones--an apparently unrecognized property of the meteoroid flux. This study will also lead to the development of new radar imaging techniques and help address issues such as the role of the meteoroid mass flux in many lower atmospheric processes such as cloud formation and stratospheric chemistry. Exploration of meteor-related electrodynamics and non-equilibrium plasma physics may stimulate other areas of research in, for example, the ionospheric heating community. This research will involve both graduate and undergraduate researchers, featuring discovery and learning to communicate knowledge concerning the meteoroid processes, related spaceweather and systems issues, and associated aeronomy.