Collaborative Research: CEDAR--Midnight Temperature Maximum and Its Impact on the Ionosphere-Thermosphere System

在这个项目中，将结合观测分析和建模来研究热层和电离层中的现象。热层的午夜最高温度(MTM)和相关的电离层现象已被多台仪器观测到，但尚未成功地用基于物理的模式进行模拟。这项研究将提高我们对低纬电离层动力学和电动力学过程的认识。它还将用于验证和改进全大气模式(WAM)中的风速、中性温度、电子密度和电场的气候学。该模式将在不久的将来过渡到高层大气预报和空间天气预报业务。参加该项目的暑期学生将获得观测数据分析和高层大气基本物理方面的经验。WAM是第一个能够在内部生成真实级别的MTM的综合模式。通过使用全耦合WAM和全球电离层和等离子体层模式(GIP)的模拟，本研究旨在更好地了解MTM的气候学和形态，并研究其对夜间电离层-热层系统的影响。模拟将提供有关MTM的有用信息，以便解释各种观察结果。将分析多个地面和卫星测量，以推断MTM的经度、纬度、季节和太阳周期变化，并与模拟结果进行比较。此外，还将研究夜间热层和电离层之间的离子-中性耦合。

In this project, phenomena in the thermosphere and ionosphere will be studied combining the analysis of observations and modeling. The midnight temperature maximum (MTM) in the thermosphere and related ionospheric phenomena have been observed by multiple instruments but have not been successfully simulated by a physics-based model. This study will improve our knowledge of dynamical and electrodynamical processes in the ionosphere at low latitudes. It will also serve to validate and improve the climatology of wind velocity, neutral temperature, electron density, and electric fields in the whole atmosphere model (WAM). This model will be transitioned into operation for upper atmosphere forecasting and space weather prediction in the near future. A summer student participating in the project will gain experience in data analysis of observations and basic physics of the upper atmosphere.The WAM is the first comprehensive model that is able to internally generate an MTM of a realistic magnitude. Through simulations using the fully coupled WAM and global ionosphere and plasmasphere model (GIP), this study aims to gain a better understanding of the climatology and morphology of MTM and to investigate its impact on the nighttime ionosphere-thermosphere system. Simulations will provide useful information on MTM in order to interpret the various observations. Multiple ground-based and satellite measurements will be analyzed to infer the longitudinal, latitudinal, seasonal, and solar-cycle variations of MTM and compared with simulation results. Furthermore, ion-neutral coupling between the thermosphere and ionosphere at nighttime will also be investigated.