CEDAR: On the Spectrum and Variability of Large-scale Equatorial Spread-F Structures

该项目的目标是增进对夜间赤道和低纬度电离层中通常观测到的大尺度电离层电子密度不规则性频谱（称为赤道扩散F（ESF））的了解，该频谱是不同地球物理条件的函数。 其结果将是一个负责ESF的发展，变异性和形态的过程的理解。 该方法是使用C/NOFS（通信/导航中断预报系统）卫星上的平面朗缪尔探针（PLP）进行现场离子密度测量。C/NOFS-PLP的观测可以提供不同地球物理条件下大尺度ESF结构的空间（纬向）谱特征。 PLP测量的分析还将使得能够识别周期性结构的出现，以及主波长（或主波长范围）的出现。 PLP测量将允许估计作为季节和经度扇区的函数的大规模ESF结构的发生率。 该项目将调查ESF周期性变化的可能解释。

The goal of this project is to advance understanding of the spectrum of large-scale ionospheric electron density irregularities commonly observed in the nighttime equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere, known as Equatorial Spread F (ESF), as a function of varying geophysical conditions. The result will be an improved understanding of the processes responsible for ESF development, variability and morphology. The approach is to use in-situ ion density measurements made by the Planar Langmuir Probe (PLP) onboard the C/NOFS (Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System) satellite. The observations made by the C/NOFS-PLP can provide a characterization of the spatial (in the zonal direction) spectrum of large-scale ESF structures under different geophysical conditions. Analysis of the PLP measurements will also make it possible to identify the occurrence of periodic structures, and the occurrence of a dominant wavelength (or a dominant range of wavelengths). PLP measurements will allow the estimation of the occurrence rate of large-scale ESF structures as a function of season and longitude sector. The project will investigate possible explanations for the variability in ESF periodicities.