Study of Sub-auroral Processes in the Antarctic Peninsula and Conjugate Observations

该奖项的总体目标是研究亚极光电离层对活跃地磁周期的响应，通过对两个地磁共轭地点的稳定极光红弧（SAR）的地面观测进行调查：马萨诸塞州的磨石山天文台和位于南极半岛的英国罗瑟拉站。将利用南美磁力计b场阵列（SAMBA，从智利延伸到南极半岛）和磨石山非相干散射雷达和其他地球物理仪器的附加数据来了解SAR弧的共轭行为，并回答一些空间物理学的突出问题：(a)北半球和南半球的亚极光电离层响应对磁层强迫的对称性（或不对称性）是什么；(b) SAR弧亮度的纵向变化如何与地球环电流特性相关；(c)如何解释弧内的动态结构以及将弧与漫射极光连接起来的指状特征；(d)对两个半球SAR弧特征的模拟如何有助于解决电离层响应的季节变化，以及(e)夜间热层重力波（GWs）和中尺度传播电离层扰动的共同点，从而促进对磁层-电离层耦合的理解。国防气象卫星计划（DMSP）和NASA的辐射带风暴探测器（RBSP）将为这项研究提供电离层参数和环电流中高能离子的关键信息。该项目涉及国际合作，并培养一名研究生。

The overarching goal of this award is to study responses of the sub-auroral ionosphere to the active geomagnetic periods via investigations of the ground-based observations of stable auroral red (SAR) arcs from two geomagnetically conjugate locations: the Millstone Hill Observatory in Massachusetts and British station Rothera located at the Antarctic Peninsula. Additional data from the South American Magnetometer B-field array (SAMBA, extended from Chile to the Antarctic Peninsula) and the Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar and other geophysical instruments will be utilized to understand the SAR arcs' conjugate behavior and answer some outstanding questions of space physics: (a) what is the symmetry (or lack of) for the sub-auroral ionosphere responses in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres to the magnetospheric forcing; (b) how longitudinal variations in the SAR arc brightness correlated with the Earth's ring current properties; (c) how to interpret dynamic structures inside the arcs and finger-like features connecting them to the diffuse aurora; (d) how the modeling of SAR arc features at both hemispheres can help addressing seasonal changes in the ionospheric responses, and (e) what nighttime thermospheric gravity waves (GWs) and medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances have in common, thus advancing the understanding of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. The Defense Meteorological Satellites Program (DMSP) and the NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) will provide key information of ionospheric parameters and energetic ions in the ring current for this study. The project involves international collaboration and trains a graduate student.