Collaborative Research: New Directions in Optical-Instrument-Driven Aeronomy at Arecibo Observatory

研究人员将使用阿雷西博天文台（AO）的增强型仪器群，以获得对空间-大气相互作用区域（SAIR）复杂性质的新见解。新的高频（HF）加热设施与ISR（非相干散射雷达）和其他仪器提供了一个独特的机会，研究加热相关的空气动力学和等离子体物理问题。这包括在电离层“加热”活动期间对557.7纳米、630.0纳米和427.8纳米的气辉进行快速成像观测，以了解高频加热在产生等离子体气泡方面的作用，或在已经存在的情况下对其进行调制，并了解次级超热电子在产生不同波长的气辉方面的作用。 这项研究还将有助于深入了解加热过程，包括定位电离层“热点”，获得电子碰撞过程的细节，阐明朗缪尔和离子声波在强加热区域中的作用，以及研究零星E.后一项研究将包括Ca+金属激光雷达观测，并通过555.7 nm成像以及ISR和HF雷达结果进一步定义。高频加热电离层提供了一个独特的机会，调查等离子体加热过程及其对中性粒子的影响，在一个控制（实验）的方式。在加热活动之外，来自其他地点的630 nm全天空相机图像数据库将被合作组装，以调查无所不在的~1小时周期电离层波的全球背景，以及相关的动态，首先由AO ISR确定。这项工作将利用其他AO仪器，包括共振和瑞利激光雷达，调查低层大气区域波耦合的作用。此外，拟议中的新CCD照相机将允许高速成像，以更好地了解高频加热效应，并将光学和雷达流星联系起来，以研究流星体的高空大气学。SAIR对加热引起的环境突然变化的反应将通过多种仪器的协同使用进行探索，从而为许多地球物理研究领域提供信息。这项工作的多学科性质将有助于建立与等离子物理学家，建模师和空间气象科学家的合作。它还将通过在现有成像仪上增加一个用户拥有的公共访问（UOPA）高帧率CCD来提高AO集群的能力，并有助于建立国际合作。将鼓励来自波多黎各当地大学的少数民族学生参加观测和数据分析。他们将参与光学系统的改进，包括AO仪器的培训和应用这些仪器研究SAIR的高层大气学。

The investigators will use the enhanced instrument cluster at Arecibo Observatory (AO) to gain new insight into the complex nature of the space-atmosphere interaction region (SAIR). The new High Frequency (HF) heating facility with the ISR (Incoherent Scatter Radar) and other instruments provides a unique opportunity to study heating-related aeronomic and plasma physics problems. This includes the rapidly-imaged observation of airglow at 557.7 nm, 630.0 nm and 427.8 nm during ionospheric "heating" campaigns to understand the role of HF-heating in generating plasma bubbles, or modulating them if already present, and to understand the role of secondary suprathermal electrons in producing airglow at different wavelengths. This research will also yield insight to the heating process, including locating ionospheric "hot-spots", yielding details of the electron collision process, elucidating the role of Langmuir and ion-acoustic waves in the strongly heated regions, and study of heating effects in Sporadic E. The latter study will include Ca+ metal-lidar observations as further defined by 555.7 nm imaging as well as ISR and HF radar results. HF heating of the ionosphere offers a unique opportunity to investigate the plasma heating process and its effects on the neutrals in a controlled (experimental) fashion. Outside of the heating campaigns, a database of 630 nm all-sky camera images from other locations will be assembled collaboratively to investigate the global context of the omnipresent ~1 hr period ionospheric waves, and associated dynamics, first identified with the AO ISR. This work will utilize other AO instruments, including the resonance and Rayleigh lidars, to investigate the role of wave coupling from lower atmospheric regions. Also, a proposed new CCD camera will allow high speed imaging to better understand HF heating effects and linking optical and radar meteors to study meteoroid aeronomy. The response of the SAIR to sudden changes in the environment caused by heating will be explored with the collaborative use of multiple instruments, thus informing numerous geophysical research areas. The multidisciplinary nature of this work will help to establish collaborations with plasma physicists, modelers, and space weather scientists. It will also advance the AO cluster capabilities with the addition of a User-Owned, Public Access (UOPA) high frame rate CCD to the current imager and help in establishing international collaborations. Students representing minorities from local universities in Puerto Rico will be encouraged to participate in observations and data analysis. They will be involved in the improvements of the optical systems including training on AO instrumentation and the application of these instruments to study aeronomy of the SAIR.