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

南极半岛亚极光过程研究及共轭观测

• 批准号: 1246423
• 负责人: Carlos Martinis
• 金额: $ 27.08万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 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: 2013-06-15 至 2016-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1246423&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Study; Sub; auroral; Processes; Antarctic

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.

该奖项的首要目标是通过调查两个地磁共轭地点（马萨诸塞州的Millstone Hill天文台和位于南极半岛的英国Rothera站）对稳定极光红弧的地面观测，研究极光下电离层对活跃地磁周期的反应。来自南美洲磁强计B场阵列的额外数据（桑巴舞，从智利延伸到南极半岛）和Millstone Hill非相干散射雷达及其他地球物理仪器将被用来了解合成孔径雷达弧的共轭行为，并回答一些悬而未决的空间物理问题：（一）对称性是什么北方半球和南半球亚极光电离层对磁层强迫的响应（或缺乏）;（B）合成孔径雷达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;两半球合成孔径雷达弧形特征建模如何有助于解决电离层响应的季节性变化问题，夜间热层重力波（GW）和中尺度电离层扰动的共同点，从而推进了对磁层-电离层耦合的理解。国防气象卫星计划（DMSP）和美国宇航局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的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。