Collaborative Research: RINGS - RISR INvestigation of the Geospace System

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A collaborative multi-instrument investigation of the high-latitude geospace system will be carried out, motivated by the completion of the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radars RISR-N and RISR-C, the first ever ISRs deployed to the geomagnetic polar regions. Initial results from RISR-N have revealed an unexpectedly structured and dynamic plasma environment. In order to understand these new measurements and to fully exploit this new diagnostic capability, an experimental campaign is proposed that will synthesize RISR observations with data from the collocated optical sensors (Fabry-Perot Interferometer and Optical Mesosphere Thermosphere Imager), the PolarDARN HF (high frequency) radars, the THEMIS and NORSTAR camera networks, and the global ISR network (in particular, Sondrestrom, the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR), and the European Incoherent Scatter Radar (EISCAT)). This project will leverage the new diagnostic information provided by RISR to foster collaborative studies of the high latitude geospace system. The guiding questions of the investigation arise from this systems view: 1. What governs the internal structure and HF propagation characteristics of plasma density patches? 2. How do auroral processes affect structure and composition of the polar ionosphere, and what are the global-scale implications? 3. What are the important interactions between the plasma and neutral gases at polar latitudes? 4. How do the aforementioned processes control the distribution of plasma on high-latitude flux tubes? This project will provide a wealth of information on the ionospheric boundary for modelers to enhance our understanding of the ionospheric boundary. The investigation of plasma structuring mechanisms will have implications for communications and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal propagation. The investigation of plasma-neutral interactions will shed light on how the lower atmosphere drives the global geospace system. The research will be carried out through an 8-institution international collaborative (4 from the U.S., 2 from Canada, 2 from Japan). The project will contribute to training the next generation of geophysicists, and the team will include three early career investigators.