Collaborative Research: Coordinated Resonance and Rayleigh Lidar Studies of the Arctic Atmosphere and Geospace Environment

该合同将升级位于阿拉斯加Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR)（北纬65度，西经147W）的高层大气激光雷达设施，利用来自钠层的共振后向散射回波，实现对中间层和低层热层（MLT）区域的风和温度（W&amp；T）测量能力，从而获得这些结果。该仪器将用于开展相关研究，解决中间层和低层热层（MLT）极性动力学中的新挑战，并扩展正在进行的离子中性耦合过程研究工作。该合同的一个关键要素是将Na共振风温激光雷达转移到PFRR的激光雷达研究实验室（LRL），该激光雷达目前在挪威（69N, 16E）的北极激光雷达观测站进行中期大气研究。该激光雷达系统在Poker Flat建立后，将能够以高垂直分辨率和时间节奏测量三维风、中性温度和钠密度剖面。激光雷达的覆盖范围通常为80-105公里，当中性Na存在于较高海拔（零星的层形成）时，可以扩展到~ 140公里，进入较低的热层。该设施将是培训年轻光学工程物理学家的绝佳手段，这些物理学家将非常适合学术界和工业研究中许多可能的职业道路。本研究的主要科学目标包括以下几个目标：1。1 .重力波（GW）在不同环境中的传播、折射、传导以及能量和动量输运特性，例如对平流层变暖的MLT响应；2 .量化驱动能量和动量沉积、湍流、热、动量和组分输运以及混合的GW不稳定动力学；3 .了解GWs与潮汐和行星波的相互作用及其对这些场的影响，以及波浪谱随海拔的演变；有助于提高对E区离子中性耦合的理解。采用PFRR激光雷达系统的研究将受益于PFRR目前和即将到来的测量能力，包括中性和等离子体动力学的地基成像，新流星雷达的建造，以及可能通过即将到来和未来的火箭测量进行的现场测量。PFRR激光雷达团队还拥有广泛的建模能力，这将继续有利于激光雷达和相关仪器测量的解释和理解。

This award would would upgrade the upper atmosphere lidar facility located at the Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR), Alaska (65N, 147W) to achieve a wind and temperature (W&T) measurement capability for the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region using the resonance backscatter returns from the sodium layer to obtain these results. This instrument would be applied to undertake correlative studies addressing new challenges in mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) polar dynamics as well as extending ongoing work on the study of ion-neutral coupling processes. A key element of the award would be the transfer of the Na resonance wind-temperature lidar, currently at the Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmosphere Research, Norway (69N, 16E), to the Lidar Research Laboratory (LRL) at PFRR. This lidar system when established at Poker Flat would be capable of measuring three-dimensional wind, neutral temperature and sodium density profiles at high vertical resolution and temporal cadence. The lidar range coverage would normally be 80-105 km, and when neutral Na is present at higher altitudes (sporadic layer formations) can then be extended up to ¡­140 km into the lower thermosphere. This facility will represent an excellent means of training young optical engineering physicists that would then be well suited for many possible career paths in academia and industrial research.The major scientific goals of the research include the following objectives: 1. characterization of gravity wave (GW) propagation, refraction, ducting, and energy and momentum transports in variable environments, e.g., MLT responses to stratospheric warmings, 2. quantification of GW instability dynamics driving energy and momentum deposition, turbulence, heat, momentum, and constituent transports, and mixing, 3. understanding the interactions of GWs with tides and planetary waves, their influences on these fields, and the evolution of the wave spectrum with altitude, and 4. contributing to an improved understanding of ion-neutral coupling in the E region. Studies employing the PFRR lidar system will benefit from current and pending measurement capabilities at PFRR, including ground-based imaging of neutral and plasma dynamics, the construction of a new meteor radar, and in situ measurements made possibly by pending and future rocket measurements. The PFRR lidar team also has extensive modeling capabilities that will continue to benefit the interpretation and understanding of lidar and correlative instrument measurements.