CEDAR: The Role of Neutral Winds in the Day-to-day Variability of the Ionospheric Mid-Latitude Evening Anomalies

韦德尔海异常(WSA)是南半球夏季中高纬度电离层的一种反复出现的特征。威德尔海地区的电子密度在夜间达到最大值，而不是像预计的那样，在白天由于太阳的光致电离而达到最大值。这项工作的目的是了解这些晚间异常的原因，特别是热层中性风和源自低层大气的波的作用。因为在大气层的这一部分不能直接感觉到风，它们必须从其他可用的测量数据中推断出来，比如电子密度。这项研究的一个关键价值是产生和传播观测驱动的全球尺度电离层风，这是从PI的最新模型计算得出的。WSA可以被认为是电离层/热层耦合建模能力的试验台。主要的研究工具是USU的热层风同化模式(TWAM)，它将与电离层同化系统(GAIM)相耦合。这两个系统从一套全面的陆基和天基数据网络中获取数据。它们将能够调查异常区域内外电离层驱动因素逐日变化的风响应。这一建议与最新的十年调查的目标非常一致，该调查指责热层模拟和数据同化社区在缺乏数据的地区提供风。

The Weddell Sea Anomaly (WSA) is a recurrent feature of the Southern hemisphere summertime midlatitude to high-latitude ionosphere. Electron densities maximize around the Weddell Sea region during the night, rather than during the day as would be expected due to photoionization by the Sun. The objective of the work is to understand the causes of these evening anomalies, with particular attention to the roles of thermospheric neutral winds, and waves originating from the lower atmosphere. Because winds are not directly sensed in this part of the atmosphere, they must be inferred from other available measurements such as electron density. A key value of the research is the generation and dissemination of observation-driven global-scale ionospheric winds computed from the PI's state of the art model.The WSA can be thought of as testbed for coupled ionosphere/thermosphere modeling capabilities. The primary research tool is USU's Thermospheric Wind Assimilation Model (TWAM) that will be coupled to an ionospheric assimilation system (GAIM). These two systems ingest data from a comprehensive set of ground-based and space-based data networks. They will enable investigation of the wind response to day-to-day variations in ionospheric drivers inside and outside the anomaly regions. This proposal is very well-aligned with the goals of the most recent Decadal Survey, which charges the thermospheric modeling and data assimilation communities with providing winds in data-absent regions.