Collaborative Research: CEDAR--A Focused Study of Sustained Upward Vertical Winds in the Auroral Zone

合作研究：CEDAR——极光区持续向上垂直风的重点研究

• 批准号: 1243099
• 负责人: Donald Hampton
• 金额: $ 22.31万
• 依托单位: University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-05-01 至 2017-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1243099&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; CEDAR; Focused; Study

The investigators will use data from a multi-instrument observational campaign centered on Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, AK to study the phenomenon of sustained upward vertical winds (SUVW) in the thermosphere that are associated with the soft particle precipitation of auroral activity. These winds have speeds in excess of 15 meters per second and appear continuously upward over several hours. They are generally preceded by a period of downward winds with speeds of 20 to 30 m/s. Far from being an intriguing curiosity, vertical winds are important to understanding the complex dynamic behavior of the upper atmosphere. Vertical winds in the thermosphere are responsible for vertical mass transport, disrupting stratification and changing the local composition, which can lead to changes in the overall thermal budget. Understanding the underlying source of these sustained vertical upward winds will enable a prediction of the global distribution of their occurrence and their impact on thermospheric dynamics. The study will take advantage of a critical mass of key instruments in the auroral zone in central Alaska that will produce comprehensive data sets to characterize the auroral input and large scale thermospheric conditions leading to the sustained upward vertical wind events. The primary instruments for observing vertical winds will be a set of three imaging Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPI), located at Poker Flat, Fort Yukon and Eagle, AK and dedicated to high-cadence zenith measurements. The contextual instruments include the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR), a set of four scanning Doppler imagers (SDI) at Poker Flat, Gakona, Toolik Field Station, and Kaktovik, AK, all-sky cameras and meridian spectrographs at Poker Flat and remote observing sites. The broader impacts of this work will be the training and educational opportunities for undergraduates in technical research by participating in the analysis of the data obtained by the zenith FPI instruments.

研究人员将使用以阿肯色州费尔班克斯附近的扑克平原研究靶场为中心的多仪器观测活动的数据，研究与极光活动的软粒子降水有关的热层中的持续向上垂直风(SUVW)现象。这些风的速度超过每秒15米，并在几个小时内持续向上。在它们之前，通常会有一段下行风速为20至30米/S。垂直风远不是一个耐人寻味的奇事，而是对理解高层大气复杂的动力学行为非常重要。热层中的垂直风负责垂直质量输送，扰乱层结并改变局地成分，这可能导致整体热量预算的变化。了解这些持续的垂直上升风的根本来源将能够预测它们发生的全球分布及其对热层动力学的影响。这项研究将利用阿拉斯加中部极光地带的关键仪器的临界质量，这些仪器将产生全面的数据集，以描述导致持续向上垂直风事件的极光输入和大尺度热层条件。观测垂直风的主要仪器将是一套三个成像法布里-珀罗涉仪(FPI)，位于亚肯色州育空堡和伊格尔的Poker Flat，专门用于高频率的天顶测量。相关仪器包括Poker Flat非相干散射雷达(PFISR)、Poker Flat、Gakona、Toolik野战站和AK Kaktovik的一套四台扫描多普勒成像仪、Poker Flat和远程观测站点的全天相机和子午线光谱仪。这项工作的更广泛影响将是通过参与分析天顶FPI仪器获得的数据，为本科生提供技术研究方面的培训和教育机会。